Louis Vuitton (LV) and Hermès are definitely not the same company—they are two completely independent luxury brands with distinct ownership structures, corporate governance models, and brand philosophies, standing as top competitors in the global luxury market. This conclusion is supported by public corporate filings, luxury industry reports, and the well-documented equity dispute between the two parties in the early 2010s, which further highlighted their non-affiliation and Hermès’ unwavering commitment to independence.

The fundamental divide lies in their corporate backgrounds. Louis Vuitton is the flagship brand of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate. LVMH was formed in 1987 through the merger of two industry giants: Moët Hennessy (a leading wine and spirits producer) and Louis Vuitton (a heritage leather goods brand). Today, LVMH is controlled by the Arnault family, which holds approximately 48% of the group’s shares and 64% of voting rights, according to LVMH’s 2025 annual report. The conglomerate operates a diversified portfolio of over 75 luxury brands spanning fashion, jewelry, cosmetics, and hospitality, including Dior, Givenchy, Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari. LV, as LVMH’s core revenue driver, benefits from the group’s global supply chain, marketing resources, and distribution network, enabling large-scale production while maintaining luxury positioning.

In stark contrast, Hermès remains a family-owned independent enterprise since its founding in 1837 by Thierry Hermès. For over 180 years, it has been passed down through six generations of the Hermès family, who have fiercely guarded the brand’s autonomy. To prevent hostile takeovers, 52 family members established a holding company named H51 SAS in 2011, which currently holds 54.3% of Hermès’ shares and 64.2% of voting rights, per Hermès’ latest financial disclosures. The remaining equity is held by a small number of family members and public investors, with no external conglomerate or institution having the right to interfere in the brand’s strategic decisions. This independent ownership structure allows Hermès to adhere to its core values of craftsmanship, scarcity, and slow luxury, without being pressured by group-level profit targets.

A pivotal event that underscored the separation between LV (LVMH) and Hermès was the high-profile equity dispute in 2010. At the time, LVMH secretly accumulated a 20% stake in Hermès through derivatives and subsidiary investments, bypassing regulatory disclosure requirements. This move shocked the luxury industry, as LVMH’s ambition to acquire or control Hermès was widely seen as a threat to the latter’s independent heritage. The Hermès family responded with a decisive counterattack: they established H51 SAS to consolidate family-owned shares, filed a lawsuit against LVMH for insider trading and market manipulation, and lobbied French financial regulators for intervention.

In 2014, under pressure from authorities, LVMH reached a settlement with the Hermès family: it divested most of its Hermès shares, paid an 8 million euro fine for violating disclosure rules, and signed a legally binding agreement promising not to purchase additional Hermès equity for five years. As of 2025, the Arnault family holds only a small, passive stake (around 8%) in Hermès, which is purely a financial investment with no voting rights or operational influence. This dispute not only confirmed the two brands’ non-affiliation but also solidified Hermès’ reputation as a fiercely independent luxury icon that prioritizes heritage over corporate expansion.

Beyond ownership, LV and Hermès operate with fundamentally different strategies, reflecting their divergent corporate identities. As part of LVMH, LV adopts a scalable luxury model: it leverages the group’s production capacity to balance exclusivity with accessibility, offering a wide range of products from high-end leather goods (e.g., Neverfull, Speedy) to entry-level accessories (e.g., scarves, keychains) that cater to a broader affluent consumer base. LV’s growth relies on global flagship store expansion, celebrity collaborations, and digital marketing to drive mass appeal while maintaining premium pricing.

Hermès, by contrast, adheres to a hyper-exclusive, craftsmanship-driven model. It controls the entire supply chain independently—owning over 50 top-tier leather tanneries worldwide, training master artisans for 5–7 years, and producing core products like Birkin and Kelly bags entirely by hand, with each piece requiring 18–24 hours of labor. Hermès strictly limits production volume and uses a quota system for its iconic bags, ensuring scarcity that turns products into investment-grade assets. Unlike LV, Hermès avoids mass marketing and celebrity endorsements, letting its craftsmanship and heritage speak for itself, targeting ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) rather than mainstream affluent consumers.

In conclusion, LV and Hermès are two independent luxury powerhouses with no corporate affiliation. LV is the cornerstone of the LVMH conglomerate, pursuing scalable luxury and market dominance, while Hermès is a family-owned independent brand that prioritizes craftsmanship, exclusivity, and heritage preservation. Their rivalry in the global luxury market further highlights their distinct identities, making them two of the most influential but fundamentally different names in the industry.