THE FAST FALL OF FRANCE'S CELEBRITY CEOs

摘要

It seems like just yesterday. Le tout France was lauding them as Gallic superheroes, conquerors of the world for their Paris-based groups: Vivendi Universal's Jean-Marie Messier, LVMH's Bernard Arnault, France Telecom's Michel Bon, and Gucci-to-Samsonite boss Frangois Pinault of Pinault-Printemps-Red-oute. Thanks to the well-covered exploits of these CEOS, the French private sector was finally earning accolades, not the opprobrium it had endured in France for decades. The men were viewed as the preeminent icons of modern France, supplanting Gauloise-smoking intellectuals and silver-tongued politicians.