François Pinault

François Pinault ( born August 21, 1936 in Champs- Géraux, Côtes- d'Armor ) is a French entrepreneur and art collector. The art magazine ArtReview chose him in 2007 to first place in the list of the hundred most influential people in contemporary art.

His originally founded in 1962 as establishment Pinault Group Kering ( under this name since 2013: from 1994 Pinault -Printemps -Redoute; 2005 PPR shortened ), which has its roots in the wood and furniture trade and led since 2005 by François Pinault's son Francois-Henri is, is committed since the 1990s, especially in the luxury goods and fashion trade. To this group since the late 1990s include the fashion brands Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta as well as since 2007, the sporting goods manufacturer Puma. Former subsidiary until 2006, the department store chain Printemps, by 2011 the furniture group Conforama until 2013, Redcats Group, with the department stores La Redoute and by 2013 the book trade and electrical retail chain Fnac.

In 1992, Pinault, the holding company Artemis, to which the state in 2014 in addition to 40.9 % of the shares ( 55.52 % of the voting rights) in Kering also 100%, the auction house Christie's (since 1998) to 94.19 %, the Château Latour in Pauillac in Bordeaux ( since 1993) to 100 %, the magazine Le Point (since 1997) and other publications, the U.S. insurer Northern Capital Life & Health and the British insurer Tawa PLC ( since 2002) to 100% of the football club Stade Rennes to 100 %, the Paris Théâtre Marigny (since 2000) and to 80 % of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice ( since 2006) and other investments include. From 1992 to 2002 included a stake in Samsonite to Artemis. Artemis was conducted from 2003 to 2005 by François -Henri Pinault in succession to his father; Since then, Patricia Barbizet acts as CEO. The consolidated turnover of the Group amounted to Artemis in fiscal 2010 to approximately 15.584 billion euros.

Pinault competes sharply with the boss of the other French luxury goods group LVMH, Bernard Arnault.

Art Collector

In addition, Pinault owns one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art, including works by Andy Warhol, among others, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst. From the plan, on the former factory premises of the company Renault in Boulogne- Billancourt to build a museum for this collection in Paris, François Pinault took due to extremely lengthy negotiations and high requirements imposed by the French authorities finally back distance. The Palazzo Grassi was acquired in 2006 by the Japanese architect Tadao Pinault Ando converted into a museum. The opening took place on 30 April 2006. Further works from Pinault's collection will be shown in the Punta della Dogana, the former seat of the Venetian customs authority, since 6 June 2009. Again, he commissioned Ando planning. The Palazzo Grassi is, according to the plans then mainly show exhibitions.