We’re talking about the Wertheimers. Specifically, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer. I mean, those names just *scream* old money, don’t they? These guys are billionaires, seriously. Like, *multiple*-billions-of-dollars-rich thanks to Chanel. Apparently, they just pocketed like, 5 billion dollars from the brand! Talk about a payday, jeez.
It all goes way back, almost a century, actually. Coco Chanel, the icon, founded the brand back in 1909. But get this, she didn’t actually own it all. Apparently, Pierre Wertheimer, the Wertheimers’ grandpa, was like, an early investor, *especially* in the perfume side of things. So, like, basically the really lucrative part of Chanel. And over time, his family ended up with almost all the shares. I think it was 90%, or soemthing like that.
So, it’s kinda weird, right? Coco Chanel founded the brand, but the Wertheimers control it now. It’s passed down through the generations. First to Pierre, then Jacques, and now Alain and Gérard. Alain is the chairman, so he’s probably calling most of the shots, I guess. They’re based in New York and Geneva too, which is just peak baller status, tbh.
