Last Tuesday, Alexandre accompanied his father to Washington to attend the inauguration of the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. President Donald Trump, who greeted them at the White House, referred to the young Arnault on air as "the future," hinting that a private meeting had taken place afterwards. LVMH declined to comment.

All of the Arnault children hold senior positions within the group, which owns more than 70 luxury brands, from Dior to Tiffany. Delphine (50) runs Dior, Antoine (47) oversees communications for the group, Frédéric (30) heads Loro Piana, and Jeanne (26) is marketing director for Louis Vuitton watches. Alexandre, the third of the siblings, left Tiffany to join Moët Hennessy in February as deputy to Jean-Jacques Guiony, the new CEO and loyal lieutenant of Bernard Arnault.

"MH" in a delicate phase

Moët Hennessy, historically a cash cow, has seen better days. In 2024, it revenue reached nearly $6bn. But faced with declining demand in China and the United States, sales fell for the second consecutive year and operating profit plummeted by a third. The possible increase in US tariffs on European products such as champagne and cognac in July is exacerbating the situation.

"The true measure of a manager is their ability to deal with crises," says Markus Hansen, portfolio manager at Vontobel. This highlights the gap between the successes achieved by the patriarch Arnault.

On April 30, the French group announced a 13% reduction in the workforce at Moët Hennessy and a focus of marketing budgets on flagship global brands. In a video viewed by Reuters, Alexandre acknowledged that "the situation is very difficult." According to Frédéric Merceron, a union representative for Force Ouvrière, the tone is honest, but employees are still waiting for concrete measures to turn things around.

Alexandre has also been given direct responsibility for Moët Hennessy Private, a division dedicated to ultra-high-net-worth clients. This division, which has around 80 employees, offers exclusive experiences and personalized blends. In 2022, it made headlines with the sale of a cask of Ardbeg whisky for £16m to an Asian investor.

"We have decided to make it an autonomous entity that will report directly to me," he said in the video. The strategy aims to cushion the impact of price increases by focusing on the ultra-wealthy, who are less sensitive to price hikes. However, the majority of Moët Hennessy's customers remain middle-class consumers who are more hesitant to pay more than $50 or $60 for a bottle of Moët, according to HSBC analyst Anne-Laure Bismuth.

From 20% of operating profit to just 6% in ten years

For a long time, this division played a crucial role in LVMH's expansion. The cash flow generated by sales of Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy XO and Dom Pérignon enabled Bernard Arnault to finance major acquisitions—Hublot, Bulgari—and new points of sale. In the 1990s, Moët Hennessy accounted for more than 40% of the group's operating income.

But this strategic importance has eroded: in 2024, wines and spirits represented only 6% of operating income, down from 20% in 2015, according to Bernstein.

According to HSBC, a sale of the division, after restructuring, could value it at €14bn. However, Bernard Arnault has ruled out this option: "A sale is not on the agenda," he said in January. The bank nevertheless believes that a refocus on the core luxury business—fashion, leather goods, watches, and jewelry—would give LVMH a clearer portfolio that could be better valued by the markets.

For Alexandre Arnault, the clock is ticking. "Give them two years to prove what they can do," his father said by way of warning.

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With Reuters