The Louis-Dreyfus family founded and operates divisions of the Louis Dreyfus Company, a global merchant of agriculture, food processing, international shipping and finance. Branches of the wealthy French family span business interests ranging from energy to fashion.
Léopold Louis-Dreyfus established his grain business in Basel, Switzerland, in 1851. His sons, Charles and Louis, joined the business in the 1890s and helped expand its interests and global presence. At the time of Léopold’s death in 1915, he had built his family into a French dynasty and received numerous honours, including Commander of the Légion d’Honneur, Commander of the Royal Russian Order and Grand Officer of the Romanian Crown.
Léopold’s great-grandson, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, took over the leadership of the company until 2006, when his cousin Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former CEO of Adidas, became the company’s chairman. Gérard’s daughter is celebrated and Emmy-winning “Seinfeld” actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Robert’s widow, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, is the company’s current chairperson and has a reported net worth of approximately $10 billion.
A third branch of the family’s business headed by Philippe Louis-Dreyfus is primarily engaged with offshore industrial and freight operations. Philippe is the great-grandson of Léopold Louis-Dreyfus and son of Charles, who extended his family’s interests into shipping during the mid-20th century.
