No. 92France
Emmanuel Besnier
Cheese · Laval
Net worth
$26.0B
Today
+$334+0.00%Past month
+$3.0B+13.19%As of Nov 11, 2026, 1:50 PM EST
Emmanuel Besnier is the controlling shareholder of family-held Lactalis, the world's largest dairy conglomerate, with more than $30 billion in annual revenues. His grandfather founded the company in 1933. It now sells products including President brie, Siggi's yogurt and Stonyfield. His younger siblings, Jean-Michel and Marie, split the rest of the ownership in the family's milk and cheese giant. The world's biggest dairy company, Lactalis now employs 85,000 and owns more than 266 plants in 51 countries.
Net worth over time
+13.19%+$3.0B over the past month
$26B$25B$23B
Oct 12Nov 11
Principal holdings
1 positions| Company | Industry | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Private holdings | Food & Beverage | 100.0% | $26.0B |
Also known for
- Besnier has been called the "French Howard Hughes," "the Emperor of Cheese," and, thanks to his disdain for the press, "the invisible billionaire."
- On his first day in business, Besnier's father collected 17 liters of milk and made 35 camemberts.