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LVMH
02/21/23 • 212 min
2 Listeners
We tell the full history of LVMH, and how Bernard Arnault turned a $15m investment in a bankrupt French textile company into the world’s largest individual fortune. It’s a story that’s equal parts Berkshire Hathaway, Steve Jobs and Barbarians at the Gate... and wholly under-appreciated for the genius business model innovations that enabled it. Whatever industry you operate or invest in, there’s so much to be learned from Bernard and LVMH’s complete reshaping of the luxury sector over the past three and a half decades. And oh yeah, it also involves Nazi spies, Italian family murders, Rupert Murdoch, Rihanna becoming a billionaire, Jay-Z’s champagne feuds and Beyoncé wearing a 128 carat diamond. Tune in. :)
Sponsors:
Thanks to our fantastic partners, any member of the Acquired community can now get:
- Pilot: 20% off your company’s first six months of service
- Vanta: $1,000 off any compliance audit product
- RevenueCat: In-App Subscriptions Made Easy
Links:
Carve Outs:
We tell the full history of LVMH, and how Bernard Arnault turned a $15m investment in a bankrupt French textile company into the world’s largest individual fortune. It’s a story that’s equal parts Berkshire Hathaway, Steve Jobs and Barbarians at the Gate... and wholly under-appreciated for the genius business model innovations that enabled it. Whatever industry you operate or invest in, there’s so much to be learned from Bernard and LVMH’s complete reshaping of the luxury sector over the past three and a half decades. And oh yeah, it also involves Nazi spies, Italian family murders, Rupert Murdoch, Rihanna becoming a billionaire, Jay-Z’s champagne feuds and Beyoncé wearing a 128 carat diamond. Tune in. :)
Sponsors:
Thanks to our fantastic partners, any member of the Acquired community can now get:
- Pilot: 20% off your company’s first six months of service
- Vanta: $1,000 off any compliance audit product
- RevenueCat: In-App Subscriptions Made Easy
Links:
Carve Outs:
Previous Episode
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The NFL
The NFL — it’s almost synonymous with America today. And its history is a fascinating lens to explore the nation’s development over the last 100 years, from WWII to TV and suburbs to the Internet and social media. What began as a quasi-illicit league in small midwestern towns is now the single largest media property in the world today by revenue. And whether you watch football or not, this is one incredible business story. Acquired is ready for some football — let’s kick this Season off right!
Sponsors:
Thanks to our fantastic partners, any member of the Acquired community can now get:
- Pilot: 20% off your company’s first six months of service
- Mystery: one completely free event
- Vanta: $1,000 off any compliance audit product
Links:
Carve Outs:
Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Nintendo
You may think you know the Nintendo story: a plumber named Mario, a princess named Zelda... and didn’t they buy the Seattle Mariners at some point? We thought we knew it too. And then we started researching and were blown away.
The lovable Disney-like Nintendo that we know today is a 130 year-old a playing card company (i.e. gambling), forged in the shadowy world of the Yakuza and shaped by a four-generation cycle of bitter family betrayal. And its unlikely transformation into a global multi-billion dollar media monopoly was led by an iron-fisted patriarch who — amazingly — never played a video game in his life! Get ready for one of our favorite stories Acquired has ever told — we couldn’t make this one up if we tried.
ACQ2 Show + LP Program:
- Subscribe to the shiny new ACQ2!
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Sponsors:
Thanks to our fantastic partners, any member of the Acquired community can now get:
- Pilot: 20% off your company’s first six months of service
- Vanta: $1,000 off any compliance audit product
- ...in touch with Tiny! (just tell them Ben & David sent you)
Links:
- Our Atari episode with Nolan Bushnell
- Video of id Software’s legendary PC “port” of Super Mario Brothers 3
- Episode sources
Carve Outs:
- Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Michael Lewis on Tim Ferriss and on CSPAN
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