The 2021 film House of Gucci depicts the true tale of infighting and murder that arose from the success of a family-owned luxury brand. The real-life drama separated the brand from the Gucci family in the 1990s.
Here, we'll explore who owns Gucci today and how you can invest in this iconic brand.
Who is the owner of Gucci?
Luxury fashion group Kering SA (KER -2.16%) has owned Gucci since 2004. However, the ownership evolution from the founding family to Kering was not straightforward. It was almost as contentious as the Gucci family infighting.
Separation from Gucci family
The ownership transition began in 1987 when investment manager Investcorp bought a 50% stake in Gucci from the founding family. Six years later, Investcorp acquired the remaining 50% from then-chairman Maurizio Gucci, grandson of the founder Guccio Gucci. As told in House of Gucci, Maurizio was murdered two years after selling his stake in the company.
IPO
Gucci went public on the New York and Amsterdam stock exchanges in 1995. Investcorp subsequently sold off its shares, netting more than $1.6 billion from its total investment of $245 million.
Kering vs. LVMH
Kering, formerly Pinault-Printemps-Redoute SA (PPR), got involved in Gucci in 1999. Luxury stock rival LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMHF +0.87%) had been quietly purchasing Gucci shares, amassing a 34% ownership stake. Gucci leadership accused LVMH of stealth takeover tactics and turned to French mogul François Pinault for help.
At the time, Pinault was diversifying and transforming PPR. He had founded the company in 1962 as a timber trading operation, but it had evolved into a retail conglomerate. The Gucci acquisition was an opportunity to complete the transition into luxury goods. Pinault willingly stepped in as Gucci's white knight.
As planned, PPR's investment in Gucci diluted LVMH's ownership position. LVMH took legal action, claiming the PPR arrangement had defrauded Gucci's minority shareholders.
The fight lasted two years, ultimately becoming a personal battle between Pinault and LVMH founder Bernard Arnault. In the end, the courts upheld the PPR investment. In 2001, PPR was authorized to buy half of LVMH's Gucci shares.
Delisting
By 2004, PPR owned 68% of Gucci. PPR acquired the remaining shares through a monthlong tender offer held in April of that year. Gucci was subsequently delisted from the New York and Amsterdam stock exchanges. PPR changed its name to Kering in 2013.
Institutional Investor
More than 50% of Kering's shares are split across a fragmented group of institutional investors around the world. French, North American, and U.K. institutional investors collectively own about 30% of the company. Many of these investors are mutual funds, including:
- Causeway International Value Fund (NASDAQMUTFUND:CIVV.X) holds 2.71 million shares, a 2.19% ownership stake.
- Oakmark International Fund (NASDAQMUTFUND:OAKI.X) holds 1.94 million shares, a 1.56% ownership stake.
- Dodge & Cox International Stock Fund (NASDAQMUTFUND:DODF.X) owns 1.4 million shares of Kering, a 1.12% stake.
Kering is a top-10 holding in the Causeway International Value Fund and the Oakmark International Fund. The company plays a smaller role in the other funds.
After Artémis and institutional investors, the remainder of Kering shares are owned by retail investors and employees, including executives. Since 2021, the company has selectively repurchased its own shares, directing some of that stock into its free employee share grant program.
Who is on the board of directors for Gucci?
In September 2025, Francesca Bellettini was announced as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci. Gucci also operates under the guidance of the Kering board of directors. Bellettini has been with Kering since 2003.
Name | Role | Board member since |
|---|---|---|
François-Henri Pinault | Chairman | 2005 |
Luca de Meo | CEO | 2025 |
Concetta Battaglia | Director representing employees | 2020 |
Maureen Chiquet | Independent Director | 2023 |
Jean-Pierre Denis | Director and Climate Change Lead | 2008 |
Yonca Dervisoglu | Independent Director | 2022 |
Dominique D’Hinnin | Independent Director | 2024 |
Rachel Duan | Independent Director | 2024 |
Giovanna Melandri | Independent Director | 2024 |
Baudouin Prot | Director | 2005 |
Vincent Schaal | Director representing employees | 2022 |
Héloïse Temple-Boyer | Permanent representative of Financière Pinault | 2018 |
Véronique Weill | Lead Independent Director | 2022 |
Serge Weinberg | Independent Director | 2022 |
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How to invest in Gucci
You can invest your money in Gucci by purchasing Kering shares directly or through a fund. Kering trades as KER on the French stock exchange Euronext Paris. Direct purchase of KER shares requires a brokerage account that provides access to the French exchange or an account with Société Générale Securities Services.
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) investment in Kering is a simpler and more diversified option. Funds available to U.S. retail investors include:
- Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS +0.22%) holds more than 8,600 international stocks and carries a low expense ratio of 0.05%. The Kering position is 0.05% of the total portfolio. The fund has produced a 10-year average annual return of 8.34%.
- iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA -0.03%) has 2,617 stocks in its portfolio, from large-cap to small-cap stocks. The fund's expense ratio is also efficient at 0.07%. Kering comprises 0.11% of the holdings. This ETF's 10-year average annual return is 6.76%.
- iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA +0.04%) focuses on large and mid-sized international stocks. The portfolio includes 697 holdings, and the 10-year average annual return is 6.54%. Kering makes up 0.13% of its portfolio. At 0.32%, the ETF has the highest expense ratio of the funds shown here.
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