LVMH Scion Antoine Arnault adds luxury carmaker Delage to his investment portfolio

PARIS: After adding restaurants, leisure and property to his expanding portfolio of personal investments, the eldest son of French billionaire Bernard Arnault is now making a foray into the world of European hypercars.

Antoine Arnault, the 49-year-old executive in his father's sprawling luxury empire LVMH, is the latest to join the roster of wealthy shareholders in Delage Automobiles. The French company, which is undergoing a revival, makes limited-edition cars that cost at least 2 million ($2.3 million) each and competes in the same market as Bugatti and Koenigsegg.

Delage's website says the Arnault scion is "a collector of fine cars, particularly those from the 80s and 90s, and has a carefully curated collection." His name appears alongside longstanding investors including the Pinault father-and-son duo Francois and Francois-Henri, who are rivals in the luxury sector, and Xavier Niel, partner of Arnault's sister Delphine.


The backing of Delage by Antoine Arnault, who declined to comment, comes at a pivotal time for the niche automaker, which is entering a new phase of development. It is in the process of raising additional capital, finding a Chinese joint-venture partner to produce some car parts and starting Delage auto and French-themed "clubs" in Miami and Scottsdale, Arizona, according to majority investor Laurent Tapie.