Kanye West Claims LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault ‘Killed’ His ‘Best Friend’

Topline

Kanye West baselessly accused LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault—one of the richest people in the word—of “KILL[ING] MY BEST FRIEND” on Tuesday, seemingly alluding to late Louis Vuitton menswear director and Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, who died last year from a rare form of cancer, the latest escalation of West’s feud with the billionaire fashion executive.

Kanye West attends the Givenchy Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on … [+] October 02, 2022 in Paris, France.

Corbis via Getty Images

Key Facts

West claimed Arnault “KILLED MY BEST FRIEND” in an Instagram post that was accompanied by a photo of a statue of Virgil, an ancient Roman poet, seemingly referencing Abloh again.

The rapper’s attacks on Arnault began Monday, when West was in Paris for his Yeezy SZN 9 fashion show: West claimed after the event Arnault previously put forward, and then took back, an offer to help him launch his own fashion house early in his fashion designing career (When asked about this allegation by the New York Times, Arnault had no comment).

While presenting the fashion show—during which West wore a shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” written on it—West called Arnault “my new Drake,” Vogue and the Times reported, referencing West’s former feud and competition with the rapper.

Arnault—whose company owns fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi and Christian Dior—was not present for the show, but his son Alexandre Arnault, chief marketing officer of LVMH brand Tiffany & Co., was present.

Forbes has reached out to LVMH for comment.

Crucial Quote

“WHEN I SAID WAR I MEANT WAR,” West said in his Tuesday Instagram post.

Tangent

It’s not clear if West’s “war” comment was pointed toward Arnault or a fashion editor whom he also attacked online for critiquing his “WHITE LIVES MATTER” apparel. West posted, and later deleted, photos of the editor, used their name and shared a screenshot of their Instagram profile. Members of the fashion community rushed to the editor’s defense, including model Gigi Hadid, who called West “a bully and a joke” for his rebukes. “You wish u had a percentage of her intellect… As if the ‘honor’ of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion,” Hadid commented on one of West’s posts.

Forbes Valuation

$153.8 billion. That’s the estimated net worth of Arnault and his family, making him the second richest person on Earth, behind Elon Musk. West has an estimated net worth of $2 billion, which could shrink significantly if he formally cuts ties with Adidas, which he said he plans to do.

Key Background

West and Abloh had a close relationship, after the two interned at LVMH-owned fashion house Fendi together in 2009. When Abloh died in November, Arnault said he was “not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.” West is no stranger to making outlandish claims online or in public. This past winter, the “Jesus Walks” rapper frequently attacked his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s then-boyfriend, comedian Pete Davidson. He was temporarily banned on the platform for using a racial slur against comedian Trevor Noah. West has bipolar disorder, and during their relationship, Kardashian said those close to him “understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions” and that “living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas.” West is a frequent collaborator with fashion house Balenciaga and its creative director Denma Gvasalia, and recently walked in the luxury brand’s fashion show. Gvasalia engineered West’s collaboration with the Gap, which he exited last month despite signing a 10 year contract with the company.