Alain Wertheimer, chairman and co-owner of Chanel, is ranked No. 49 on the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list, tied with his brother Gérard, with a net worth of $39.4 billion.
Alain Ernest Wertheimer was born on September 28, 1948, to a Jewish family, the son of Jacques Wertheimer and Eliane Fischer. He is based in New York City.
Net Worth and Rank
- Forbes 2026 list: No. 49 (tied with Gérard Wertheimer), with $39.4 billion
- Source of wealth: the privately held fashion house Chanel
Running Chanel
Alain Wertheimer is the chairman and a controlling shareholder of Chanel, which is privately held. His brother Gérard chairs its watch division, and the company is run by Alain, who has overseen the acquisition of non-Chanel brands including the lingerie and beachwear label Eres and the leather goods maker Tanner Krolle. From 1989 to 2021 he also owned the British gunmaker Holland & Holland, which he sold to Beretta Holding in 2021.
Wine and Horses
- Vineyards: the Wertheimer brothers own French vineyards including Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux and Château Canon in Saint-Émilion, and vineyards in Napa Valley, California
- Racing: they inherited and run a thoroughbred stable known as La Presle Farm or the Wertheimer farm, racing in the United States and, as Wertheimer et Frère, in France
- Family office: their fortune is managed by Mousse Partners
Personal Life
He is married to Brigitte Laloum, and they have three children. They live in New York City.
Why It Matters
Chanel is one of the best-known luxury brands in the world, and the Wertheimer family’s ownership dates back to Pierre Wertheimer’s partnership with Coco Chanel. His brother’s profile is in Gérard Wertheimer’s biography.
Net worth figures change daily with share prices. Rankings here follow the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list, with wealth measured on March 1, 2026.
Image: A Chanel display on Rue Cambon in Paris, April 2011 (file photo; Alain Wertheimer is not pictured). Photo: Chris Waits / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
