Fashion
Chanel owners lean on 38-year-old heir to safeguard $90 billion empire
By
Bloomberg
Published
September 1, 2025
Arthur Heilbronn checks every box of someone groomed to oversee one of the world’s most powerful multi-generational fortunes.
Deep family ties? Check. Ivy League pedigree? Check. Wall Street credentials? Check.
Now, there are growing signs the 38-year-old scion of the family behind Chanel is moving closer to the top of the firm managing its $90 billion fortune.
Since joining Mousse Partners — one of the world’s largest and most discreet family offices — six years ago, Heilbronn has assumed management roles overseeing his family’s investments in real estate, banking, and media. In the latest sign of his rise, the Harvard Business School graduate and former Goldman Sachs banker became a director earlier this year for one of Mousse’s key holding companies, filling the role vacated by longtime Chanel executive Michael Rena, who passed away, according to registry filings.
Heilbronn is the son of Charles Heilbronn, founder and chairman of Mousse since 1991. Charles is the half-brother of Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, third-generation heirs to the Chanel fortune.
The Wertheimers are grandsons of Pierre Wertheimer, one of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s original business partners when she founded the house in 1910. They share the same mother as Charles, Eliane Heilbronn, who was regarded as the family’s matriarch until her passing last year. All three sons are now in their 70s.
A representative for Mousse declined to comment.
Alain and Gerard Wertheimer — who reportedly own equal shares in privately held Chanel — each have an estimated net worth of $45 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Their wealth has remained resilient post-pandemic, even as rivals like LVMH, led by Bernard Arnault, and Kering SA, owned by the Pinault family, have been impacted by a slowdown in luxury spending.
Arthur Heilbronn’s ascent offers a rare insight into the succession strategy of a famously private family that has long kept its empire out of public scrutiny. Gerard Wertheimer’s son, David, has launched a private equity venture, though there’s no indication that other Wertheimer children are involved in Mousse.
“They feel less like a family office and more like a private endowment for a luxury empire,” said Marc Debois, founder of FO-Next, an advisory firm for family offices. “Among its peers, what puts them in the true top 1% isn’t size — it’s time; dividend-fed, multi-cycle patience.”
According to Bloomberg, at least 20% of the world’s 500 richest individuals now operate family offices, managing over $4 trillion in wealth.
A recent UBS Group AG survey of 317 family office clients found that just over half have a succession plan in place, with those in the U.S. and Southeast Asia most likely to have arranged one.
Heilbronn joined Mousse as a director in 2019 and later advanced to managing director, according to his LinkedIn profile. He currently co-heads private equity and venture direct investing alongside Paul Yun. He was also appointed to the supervisory board of Rothschild & Co. after Mousse Partners joined two other French dynasties in 2023 to help take the bank private — one of its most high-profile deals to date.
Chanel’s ultimate holding company is Mousse Investments Ltd., based in the Cayman Islands, which does not disclose its financial information. Mousse Partners is its investment arm, with offices in New York, Beijing, and Hong Kong.
Described as managing “a broad range of asset classes in public and private markets,” Mousse doesn’t reveal its total assets under management. However, public filings and media reports indicate holdings in stocks, real estate, credit, and private equity.
Mousse Partners employs more than three dozen professionals globally, including former analysts from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. Its chief investment officer, Suzi Kwon Cohen, joined nearly a decade ago after heading private equity for Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund in North America — placing her among the top female executives in the male-dominated family office sphere.
Over the years, Mousse has backed a wide variety of startups, including Brightside Health (mental health), Brandtech Group (digital advertising), Evolved by Nature (biotech), Harmless Harvest (food), and Thirty Madison (health care). In 2023, the firm joined the L’Oréal SA heiress in investing in luxury fashion brand The Row.
Not every investment has paid off. Beautycounter collapsed last year, and two of Mousse’s public holdings — an 8% stake in French digital firm NetGem SA and a 5.7% stake in Olaplex Holdings Inc. — have seen their shares plummet since their IPOs.
Mousse has also held a longstanding position in France’s publishing and audiovisual sectors through Media-Participations, which owns publishing houses, specialised media outlets, and produces comics and animated content.
The Chanel family — whose fashion house sells $970 sunglasses, $6,500 handbags, and $23,400 J12 watches — has also followed other French luxury dynasties into media. Bernard Arnault owns Les Echos, Le Parisien, and Paris Match. The Pinault family controls Le Point and Point de Vue. Chanel’s backers, through Mousse, hold stakes in Media-Participations.
Though Mousse is not involved in Chanel’s operations, both companies have offices in a luxury glass tower just south of Central Park in Manhattan — on the famed “Billionaires’ Row.” It’s one of the most expensive office buildings in the city and houses major financial tenants. Both Arthur and Charles Heilbronn list that location as their business address — the same building where Alain Wertheimer has maintained an office for many years.
Behind closed doors on that street, the next chapter in the Chanel dynasty’s succession plan may already be unfolding — but the family is unlikely to offer any public insight.
“We’re a very discreet family,” Gerard Wertheimer said in 2001. “We never talk.”
The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.
The United Aran Emirates and Jordan recently an agreement to develop a railway network in Jordan and establish the UAE-Jordan Railway Company.
The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.
The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually.
The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually, with a total investment value of $2.3 billion. Both phosphate and potash are chemicals used in the textile industry.
The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Jordan’s Minister of Transport Nidal Al-Qatamin.
The UAE-Jordan Railway Company was formally established as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD Holding Company (L’IMAD) and several Jordanian stakeholders, according to an official release in the UAE.
The joint venture will be responsible for the implementation, operation and maintenance of Jordan’s railway network through its executing arm, Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network.
The project will enhance Jordan’s export capabilities and logistics efficiency by directly linking phosphate and potash production sites to the Port of Aqaba, significantly reducing transport time and costs.
It will also support comprehensive economic development and open wide prospects for job creation across multiple sectors, leveraging the extensive expertise of Etihad Rail.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
With more than two decades of experience in the sports industry, James brings a unique combination of skills, which will help PUMA use creative direction as an important strategic lever to establish itself as a top-3 global sports brand.
Puma has appointed James Carnes as senior vice president creative direction.
Reporting to Maria Valdes, he will oversee creative direction, innovation, and product excellence.
With over two decades of experience, including leadership roles at Adidas, he will align design strategy with business goals to strengthen Puma’s global brand appeal and market position.
“James is a very highly regarded leader in our industry and he has been instrumental in shaping some of the most influential performance and lifestyle products, labels, and platforms,“ said Maria Valdes. “With a strong background in industrial design and a deep understanding of both athletes and consumers, he will play an important role in getting our customers and consumers excited about PUMA once again.”
Until 2021, James held several leadership positions in design, creative direction and strategy at adidas, both in Herzogenaurach and Portland, Oregon. Most recently he worked as an independent consultant and investor in the wider industry.
At PUMA, James will align creative direction with the company’s overall strategic ambitions, set the seasonal direction for the Business Units and create a long-term look and feel for the brand across consumer touch points.
“Creative Direction is about more than seasonal trends and colours. It is about defining how PUMA holistically presents itself in the market, harnessing the company’s portfolio of world class innovation, and deeply connecting with consumers,” said James Carnes. “We have the amazing opportunity to modernize the image and style of one of the most iconic sports brands in the world and I look forward to leading our teams and collaborating with my colleagues to make this happen.”
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
China will step up building a higher-level China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.
President Xi Jinping recently held talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Xi said both countries should work together in their modernisation drive, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and prioritise infrastructure connectivity.
While meeting Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the state visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Wang said both sides should focus on implementing the high-level common perceptions, including raising bilateral trade turnover to $500 billion in future.
Hung urged China to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, broaden the list of products eligible for tariff preferences and further open its market. He also called for the mutual recognition of quarantine results for agro-forestry-fishery products, facilitation of Vietnamese exports via cross-border e-commerce, and expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices across Chinese localities, according to a Vietnamese news agency.
China will continue to support Vietnam in setting up additional trade promotion offices, following those already established in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Haikou, Wang responded.
China also expressed readiness to support Vietnam’s stronger exports through cross-border e-commerce, encouraging greater visibility of the Vietnam National Pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD.com to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.
China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and second-largest export market, while Vietnam continues to be China’s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
UAE-Jordan Railway Company formed to build freight railway
Iran’s speaker says US negotiations have progressed but far from final deal
Germany’s Puma appoints James Carnes to new creative leadership role
-
Politics1 week agoIndian airlines hit hardest after Dubai limits foreign flights until May 31
-
Entertainment6 days agoPalace left in shock as Prince William cancels grand ceremony
-
Sports6 days agoThe case for Man United’s Fernandes as Premier League’s best
-
Politics1 week agoChinese, Taiwanese will unite, Xi tells Taiwan opposition leader
-
Business1 week ago100% road tax waiver for electric cars, new rules for 2, 3 and 4 wheelers – what Delhi govt’s draft EV policy says – The Times of India
-
Business6 days agoUK could adopt EU single market rules under new legislation
-
Entertainment1 week agoDua Lipa hits major career high ahead of wedding with Callum Turner
-
Business1 week agoThe FAA wants gamers to apply for air traffic control jobs