Louis Dreyfus Company facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Merchant |
| Genre | Agriculture, Food processing, Transportation |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Founder | Léopold Louis-Dreyfus |
| Headquarters |
,
Netherlands
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Area served
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Worldwide (operations in 100+ countries) |
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Key people
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Margarita Louis-Dreyfus (chairman) Michel Demaré (deputy chairman) Michael Gelchie (CEO) Michael Gelchie (COO) |
| Products | Oilseeds, grains, juice, fertilisers, cotton, sugar, rice, coffee, dairy, metals, etc. |
| Services | Freight, finance, etc. |
| Revenue |
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Operating income
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US$1,048 million (FY2018) |
| US$357 million (FY2018) US$317 million (FY2017) |
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| Total assets | US$18.4 billion (FY2018) |
| Total equity | US$5,034 million (FY2018) |
| Owner | ADQ (45%) |
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Number of employees
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22,000+ (FY2015) |
| Parent | Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V. |
| Footnotes / references Financial highlights 2018 |
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Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (often called LDC) is a big company from the Netherlands. It works in many areas around the world. LDC is involved in farming, making food products, and shipping goods across the ocean. They also handle money matters and own properties.
LDC is one of the four largest companies that trade farm products globally. These four companies are sometimes called the "ABCD" companies. The others are Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, and Cargill. LDC handles about 10% of the world's farm product trade. It is the biggest trader of cotton and rice. Many also see it as the second-largest player in the world's sugar market.
LDC's main office is in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The company has offices in over 100 countries. Some of its major offices are in Geneva, London, Beijing, and New York City. The company employs more than 22,000 people worldwide.
Company History
LDC was started in 1851 by Léopold Louis-Dreyfus. He was 18 years old and came from the Alsace region of France. Léopold began by buying wheat from local farmers. He then transported it to Basel in Switzerland, which was about 13 kilometers away.
Léopold quickly became successful by trading grains. He soon expanded his business into shipping, making weapons, farming, oil, and banking. This helped his family become one of the richest in Europe. His family still owns the company today. By the early 1900s, the Louis-Dreyfus family was known as one of the wealthiest families in France.
During the Second World War, the family faced a difficult time. Many of their family's properties were taken by the government at that time. Some family members had to leave France and move to America. In 1941, a temporary manager was put in charge of the Louis Dreyfus Corn Dealers company.
In May 2018, Louis Dreyfus Company sold its metals trading business. This business was called LDC Metals. It was sold for US$466 million.
In December 2023, LDC offered to buy Namoi Cotton. Namoi Cotton is a company in Australia that processes cotton. In March 2024, LDC also agreed to buy Cacique. Cacique is a company in Brazil that exports instant coffee.
The Louis-Dreyfus Family
The Louis-Dreyfus family has several branches involved in different businesses. Léopold Louis-Dreyfus's great-grandson, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, was in charge of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services. This part of the company traded crude oil and invested in gas. Gérard was also the father of the American actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Another part of the family's business was led by Robert Louis-Dreyfus until he passed away in 2009. His wife, Margarita Bogdanova Louis-Dreyfus, now oversees it. A third part of the family's business is led by Philippe Louis-Dreyfus. This branch mainly focuses on shipping and industrial activities offshore.
Questions About Taxes
In 2011, some questions came up in Argentina about how four large grain trading companies paid their taxes. These companies were ADM, Bunge, Cargill, and LDC. Argentina's tax service started an investigation. This happened because prices for farm products went up a lot in 2008. However, these four companies reported very little profit in Argentina.
The investigation suggested that the companies might have reported false sales. It was also suggested that they sent their profits to places with lower taxes. In some cases, they were said to have used fake companies to buy grain. They also seemed to have made their costs in Argentina look higher. This would make their reported profits in the country seem smaller.
According to Argentina's tax service, the unpaid taxes were almost US$1 billion. The companies involved have said that these claims are not true. As of August 2025, the case is still ongoing.
See also
In Spanish: Grupo Louis-Dreyfus para niños
- Pierre Louis-Dreyfus
- Louis Louis-Dreyfus
- LD Lines
