My Little Dive into Frédéric Arnault’s Schooling
So, the other day, I got curious about Frédéric Arnault, you know, one of the LVMH heirs, the guy who was CEO of TAG Heuer and is now looking after more watch stuff for the big group. You see these names pop up, and you just wonder, don’t you? What’s their actual story, especially when it comes to their education? Did they just get a free pass into the family business, or did they actually hit the books somewhere?
My first guess, honestly? I figured, okay, probably some super fancy business school, an MBA from a place with a big name. That’s usually how it goes for these folks, right? Get the right connections, a bit of polish, and you’re set. So, I started doing a bit of digging online. Thought it would be a five-minute job.
Well, it wasn’t like it was a state secret or anything, but it wasn’t plastered everywhere like some celebrity’s daily routine either. I had to wade through a fair bit of the usual articles – “youngest CEO this,” “luxury brand that.” You know the drill, the internet loves to show you all the shiny stuff first.
Then I stumbled upon it. And it wasn’t quite the “easy MBA” route I had initially pictured. École Polytechnique.
Now, if you’re not familiar, École Polytechnique in France is a pretty big deal. It’s like one of their top, top engineering schools, really heavy on the maths and sciences. Definitely not a place you just breeze through. I remember my nephew; he was trying to get into a decent engineering program, nothing even close to this level, and he was a nervous wreck for months, studying like a madman. And Polytechnique? That’s a whole different ball game. They even call it ‘X’ over there. Sounds serious, doesn’t it?
So, this guy went to this elite engineering school. That detail kind of threw me for a loop. I was half-expecting something more along the lines of, I don’t know, “History of Luxury Goods” or “Advanced Yacht Management.” But nope, it was proper, hardcore engineering. And apparently, he also did some research at MIT, which is no slouch of a place either, and even did an internship at McKinsey before getting deep into the family business. McKinsey! My mate worked there for a bit, said they grind you into dust.
It made me pause for a second. You hear the word “heir,” and you instantly paint a picture in your head. But then you find out about a background like that, and it adds another dimension. It seems it wasn’t just about having the right last name; looks like there was some serious brainpower and effort put in too.
You’re probably wondering why I was even bothering to look this stuff up. It’s a bit of a random story, really. I was having a chat with my friend Sarah the other day. We were on the topic of our kids and all the pressure they face these days. She was going on about how some kids just have everything handed to them on a silver platter. And I kind of agreed, but also said, “Yeah, but even then, sometimes they still have to show they’re up to the job, right?” So, just on a whim, I decided to look up one of these “born into it” types to see what their actual educational journey was. Purely out of curiosity, to see if it would support my point or hers.
Turns out, it’s a bit of a mix, I suppose. The massive advantages are definitely there, no one’s denying that. But it looks like you still have to show up and do the work, especially if you’re aiming for places like Polytechnique. Makes you think about what their family dinners were like. Bet they weren’t just chatting about the latest reality TV shows, eh?
Anyway, that was my little detour for the afternoon. It just goes to show, things aren’t always as straightforward as they seem on the surface. It’s always a bit interesting to dig a little bit, even if it’s just about where someone went to school.