Bernard Arnault was born on March 5, 1949, in Roubaix, France. He graduated from the École Polytechnique, France’s leading engineering school. Arnault began his career working for his father’s construction company, which he eventually took over and shifted towards the real estate sector. His entry into the luxury goods industry began in 1984 when he acquired the bankrupt textile company Boussac, which owned Christian Dior.