On January 17, Bernard Arnault took up his pen to send a letter to his children Delphine and Antoine, as well as to the various members of his executive committee (his confidant, Nicolas Bazire, the general secretary, Marc-Antoine Jamet, etc. ). “recommendation”The head of the luxury group LVMH shows a cold anger. The interest aroused by the media, but also “the so-called confidential letters, the so-called research sites that take advantage of the public’s attraction to luxury to attract new readers in a promotional way,” push them, according to him, to search “Confidential” information from internal sources – who would act “by personal calculation or strategy.”
“I formally condemn any behaviour consisting of maintaining relations with unscrupulous journalists and giving them information or comments about the life of the group”blames the leader, before attaching a list of publications to which he asks his interlocutors to “respect an absolute prohibition [ces mots, en gras, sont soulignés] talk “.
In line of sight: The letter (ex-The letter AIndigo Group), the online investigative outlet, which revealed this letter, on Wednesday, September 18, The chained duck, Midpartbut also The informed, an economic information site supported by Xavier Niel (member of the supervisory board of World), as well as specialists in the sector, the American News from the album, ostentation (Indigo Group too) and Miss Tweed.
Image of independence
A point of order of this kind is not unusual within a CAC 40 group. “An employee should not grant an interview without permission. It is customary.”One talent scout recalls. However, it is rarer for the media to appear on this list. Far from harming them, this blacklist gives them a flattering image of independence.
“If Bernard Arnault takes up his pen like this (…) This is proof that the editorial team works efficiently and honestly.”welcomes Octave Bonnaud, editor-in-chief of The letter. This warning “does not prevent our journalists from having access to internal sources at LVMH”also pays tribute to Claire Bader, editor-in-chief of The informed ones.
Astrid Wendlandt, the founder of the site Miss Tweedwants to see it as proof that “These large groups cannot manage independent media that do not depend at all on their advertising budgets”. “From a billionaire boss, this letter shows a lack of trust [envers] his teams, whom he seeks to intimidate by threatening them with dismissal”adds Mediapart president Carine Fouteau. The headline notes that since May, the “The press service no longer acknowledges receipt of your messages.”
