Bernard Arnault, Xavier Niel or Rodolphe Saadé, several great French bosses have been close to Donald Trump, despite his repeated threats. For what ?
Donald Trump threatens. European products may experience a fate similar to those Canadian and Mexican. The latter saw their import tax in the United States jump to 25% on Tuesday. Direct consequence: calls to boycott American products have multiplied in recent days. The movement was born in Canada, but it quickly spread to Europe. And France is not spared. On social networks and in the media, some ensure unsubscribe from Netflix and Disney+, when others entrust not to drink Coca-Cola and no longer eat at McDonald’s.
However, not everyone seems convinced by the process. On the contrary. As for large business owners, some even have close links with Donald Trump. On January 20, on the occasion of the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States, the French businessman and patron of the LVMH group, Bernard Arnault, attended only a few meters from the presidential designer to the inauguration of Donald Trump, reported at the time The world.
“I come back from the USA and I could see the wind of optimism”
Bernard Arnault was accompanied for the occasion of his wife and two of his children: Delphine Arnault, CEO of Christian Dior Couture, and Alexandre Arnault, number two of Tiffany & Co. as reminded Le Canard EnchaînéDonald Trump and Bernard Arnault have known each other for thirty-five years and have a beautiful friendship. The luxury magnate knew the American president when they both operated in real estate in New York in the 1980s, Bernard Arnault who preferred to leave France in the election of François Mitterrand.
At the end of January, Bernard Arnault, who had argued Donald Trump in his White House election, had even taken the United States as an example. Angry against the expected increase in taxes on French companies, the boss of LVMH had declared at a press conference: “I come back from the USA and I could see the wind of optimism that reigned in this country. And when we come back to France, it’s a bit of a cold shower.” And to denounce a “Made in France tax” which would push, according to him, to relocation “.
An interested rapprochement?
Bernard Arnault’s head-on, Xavier Niel was also in the game on January 20. He would have obtained his invitation card via Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. The boss of Free indeed does business with her husband’s brother, Joshua Kushner, according to Le Canard Enchaîné. But in recent days, it was above all the name of Rodolphe Saadé, who has caused a lot of ink to flow. The Franco-Lebanese billionaire and CEO of the French shipowner CMA CGM has signed a juicy contract across the Atlantic. Donald Trump himself announced the investment of $ 20 billion over four years aimed at developing the activity of carrier and logistician of the Marseille shipowner in the United States.
If the two parties are delighted with this agreement, The world Note that it occurs while the United States threaten, since the arrival of Donald Trump in power, to tax ships docking in the country if they have been built in China. However, this is the case with a good number of CMA CGM containers. In a press release, Rodolphe Saadé does not hide that this investment aims to “strengthen the historic partnership of the CMA CGM group with the United States, […] By supporting the economy and American exports “. Longtime friendship, sharing of certain business values with the former businessman that is Donald Trump, but above all commercial interests, this is what motivates some great French bosses to keep close ties with the new President of the United States on time, which is more, where it is better to be in his little papers to be able to continue to do business …