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| France's richest man Bernard Arnault sues Libération newspaper over 'insult' | France's richest man Bernard Arnault sues Libération newspaper over 'insult' |
| (7 months later) | |
| France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, head of the LVMH luxury group, is suing the leftwing newspaper Libération for publicly insulting him. | France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, head of the LVMH luxury group, is suing the leftwing newspaper Libération for publicly insulting him. |
| Arnault launched a lawsuit on Monday after the paper carried a large photograph of the business tycoon with the headline "Casse-toi riche con!" (Get lost, rich jerk) on its front page. | Arnault launched a lawsuit on Monday after the paper carried a large photograph of the business tycoon with the headline "Casse-toi riche con!" (Get lost, rich jerk) on its front page. |
| The headline echoed the former president Nicolas Sarkozy's insult to a farmworker who refused to shake his hand at the national agricultural show. | The headline echoed the former president Nicolas Sarkozy's insult to a farmworker who refused to shake his hand at the national agricultural show. |
| Sarkozy told the man: "Casse-toi pauv' con!" (Get lost, poor jerk). | Sarkozy told the man: "Casse-toi pauv' con!" (Get lost, poor jerk). |
| The Libération story referred to Arnault's announcement that he was seeking Belgian nationality just a day before President François Hollande confirmed a 75% tax band for those earning more than €1m a year. | The Libération story referred to Arnault's announcement that he was seeking Belgian nationality just a day before President François Hollande confirmed a 75% tax band for those earning more than €1m a year. |
| Hollande has called for exceptional "solidarity" from the rich to help France overcome its economic woes that include high unemployment, public debt and stuttering growth. Hollande has said there will be "no exceptions" to the new tax and asked business leaders to lead by example by paying up. | Hollande has called for exceptional "solidarity" from the rich to help France overcome its economic woes that include high unemployment, public debt and stuttering growth. Hollande has said there will be "no exceptions" to the new tax and asked business leaders to lead by example by paying up. |
| Lawyers for Arnault, ranked the world's fourth richest man with a net worth of around $41bn (£25.6bn) by Forbes magazine, announced in a statement that he was suing Libération for public insult over the headline, which he described as vulgar and violent. | Lawyers for Arnault, ranked the world's fourth richest man with a net worth of around $41bn (£25.6bn) by Forbes magazine, announced in a statement that he was suing Libération for public insult over the headline, which he described as vulgar and violent. |
| Arnault, who transformed LVMH into one of the world's largest luxury firms after taking charge of the group in 1989, has denied that becoming Belgian is an attempt to cut his tax bill and said it was being done for business reasons. He insisted he would continue paying his taxes in France, but his protestations cut little ice with France's governing Socialists. | Arnault, who transformed LVMH into one of the world's largest luxury firms after taking charge of the group in 1989, has denied that becoming Belgian is an attempt to cut his tax bill and said it was being done for business reasons. He insisted he would continue paying his taxes in France, but his protestations cut little ice with France's governing Socialists. |
| Libération pictured the suited businessman carrying a suitcase and smiling, and described his demand for Belgian nationality as "a symbol of the selfishness of the richest". | Libération pictured the suited businessman carrying a suitcase and smiling, and described his demand for Belgian nationality as "a symbol of the selfishness of the richest". |
| The move could be the first step towards obtaining citizenship in Monaco, Libération said. As a Frenchman in Monaco, Arnault would be required to pay French taxes. But if he drops his French nationality after becoming Belgian, he could avoid them. | The move could be the first step towards obtaining citizenship in Monaco, Libération said. As a Frenchman in Monaco, Arnault would be required to pay French taxes. But if he drops his French nationality after becoming Belgian, he could avoid them. |
| "France, love it or leave it," read the headline on the front page of the Communist daily Humanité. | "France, love it or leave it," read the headline on the front page of the Communist daily Humanité. |
| The LVMH group includes Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain, Hennessy cognac and the champagne label Moët et Chandon, among others. | The LVMH group includes Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain, Hennessy cognac and the champagne label Moët et Chandon, among others. |
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