France’s next 10 richest drinks barons

Following on from the list of the 10 richest and most powerful people in the French drinks industry, we count down the 10 preceding figures from 20 to 11 on the rich list compiled by French magazine Challenges.

Whereas the 10 richest drinks barons in France largely derive their fortunes from a variety of sources, Alexandre Ricard and Pierre Castel being the two notable exceptions, moving into the 20-11 list the number of more drinks-focused individuals; running first growth châteaux, Champagne houses, Burgundian négociants and spirits companies, rises considerably.

A full six of the 10 people listed here are entirely devoted to the drinks industry (one family also draw their wealth from another sector but they had, for once, made their fortune in wine first), which is a quite staggeringly high hit rate considering their wealth sees them rubbing shoulders with some of the most powerful industrialists and manufacturers in France.

20. Philippe Sereys de Rothschild

Philippe Sereys de Rothschild

Worth: €775m
Challenges 500 position: 110
Company: Baron Philippe de Rothschild
Sector: Wine

The eldest son of the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Philippe and his brother and sister look after a prestigious portfolio of estates, the very pinnacle of which is first growth Château Mouton Rothschild.

In addition, the family owns another Pauillac estate, Château d’Armilhac, the big brand Mouton Cadet and a winery in Chile’s Maipo Valley.

The family has other strong ties to Chile and California by way of the partnerships that created Opus One and Almaviva as well.

19. Frédéric Rouzaud

Worth: €785m
Challenges 500 position: 108
Company: Louis Roederer
Sector: Wine

Rouzaud (left) took over from his father Jean-Claude (right) as president of the Champagne Louis Roederer Group in January 2006, becoming the custodian of Cristal in the process.

The driving force behind all flagship companies in the family owned group, Rouzaud runs a tight ship at Champagne Louis Roederer, Champagne Deutz, Maison Delas in the Côtes du Rhône, Château de Pez and Château Haut-Beauséjour in Bordeaux, Ramos Pinto in Portugal, Domaines Ott in Provence and finally Roederer Estate and Scharffenberger Cellars in California.

In January 2007, the Rouzaud family acquired a majority share in second growth estate Château Pichon Longueville Comtess de Lalande.

18. Patrice Pichet

Worth: €800m
Challenges 500 position: 101
Company: Groupe Pichet
Sector: Property/Real Estate

A huge Bordeaux-based real estate business that is involved in designing and building housing, shops, offices and hotels.

In 2010 Pichet acquired the Pessac-Léognan property, Château Les Carmes de Haut-Brion and soon afterwards hired famed French designer Philippe Starck to design a new winery; which was unveiled last year.

17. François Faiveley and family

François Faiveley (right) and his son, Erwan.

Worth: €830m
Challenges 500 position: 98
Company: Wabtec
Sector: Industry/Wine

Wine lovers will of course recognise the Faiveley name as being among Burgundy’s bigger landowners and négoce houses.

It is perhaps less well known that as well as their extensive vineyard holdings in the Côte d’Or, the Faiveley family was also behind a manufacturing business that made doors, brakes, pantographs and other vital rail parts for trains all over the world, including France’s own famous TGV high-speed trains.

Unlike many industrialists who make their fortune and then buy a vineyard, the Faiveleys made their money in wine first and then turned industrialists.

Last year the industrial company was acquired by the American manufacturer Wabtec who took a controlling stake.

16. Christopher Descours

Worth: €1.1bn
Challenges 500 position: 76
Company: EPI
Sector: Clothing/Wine

Having made their money in clothes, especially their well-known ‘André’ shoe brand, in 2011 the Descours family continued the diversification of their business assets by acquiring Rémy Cointreau’s Champagne arm; comprised of the Piper and Charles Heidsieck brands.

In 2016 the family bought a majority stake in the Brunello di Montalcino label Biondi-Santi. They also own Château La Verrerie in Luberon.

15. Jean-Pierre and Edith Cayard

Edith Cayard

Worth: €1.3bn
Challenges 500 position: 62
Company: La Martiniquaise
Sector: Spirits

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934 as a rum importer, La Martiniquaise quickly diversified into Cognac, Calvados, Kirsch, Madeira, Port and sweet wines.

The Cayards are the owners of one of the most powerful spirits groups in France, where several of its brands are market leaders.

Today the group owns brands such as Label 5 Scotch, Glen Moray, Saint James rum, Gibson’s gin and Port company Porto Cruz and a stake in liqueur producer Marie-Brizard.

14. Jean-Claude Fayat

Worth: €1.5bn
Challenges 500 position: 51
Company: Fayat
Sector: Construction/Wine

The builders of everything from public buildings to highways, the Fayat family also owns estates in Bordeaux; Clément-Pichon in Haut Médoc, La Dominique in Saint Emilion and Château Fayat in Pomerol.

When the group’s founder, Clément Fayat, bought what is now Clément Pichon in 1976 he reportedly wanted to rename it Château Pichon (if was owned by the Pichon family from 1601 to 1880) but a rather robust reaction from fellow Médocain properties of the same name led him to reconsider and in 1985 it was rebaptised as Clément–Pichon.

13. Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil

Worth: €2.9bn
Challenges 500 position: 32
Company: Rémy Cointreau
Sector: Spirits

The head of one of France’s leading drinks groups, Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil was CEO of Rémy Cointreau from 1998 to 2012 when she handed over to her brother, François. She is the daughter of André Hériard-Dubreuil, director general of Rémy Martin from 1965 to 1982.

Having sold its Champagne arm to EPI in 2011, today the group’s brands include, its eponymous Rémy Martin (and Louis XIII) Cognac and Cointreau; Metaxa, Mount Gay, Bruichladdich and The Botanist.

12. Gilles Hennessy (and the families of Hennessy and Moët & Chandon)

Worth: €2.9bn
Challenges 500 position: 31
Company: LVMH
Sector: Luxury

Although their family brands have been the property of the luxury behemoth Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) since the 1980s, the two families remain involved in the business.

Gilles Hennessy is executive vice president at Moët Hennessy and was previously vice-president and general manager of Hennessy Cognac.

11. Martin and Olivier Bouygues

Worth: €3bn
Challenges 500 position: 30
Company: Bouygues
Sector: Telecommunications/Wine

In France these two brothers are best known for their control of their eponymous Bouygues Group, one of France’s leading telecommunication and construction conglomerates which owns, among other things, the country’s leading television channels, TF1.

Wine lovers however, will most likely have heard of them in their capacity as the owners of Château Montrose in Saint Estèphe as well as their more recent acquisition of famed Loire estate Clos Rougeard in June of this year.