François Pinault (born 21 August 1936) is a French billionaire businessman, co-founder of the luxury group Kering and the investment holding company Artémis.
The business began in the timber industry in the early 1960s. Taken public in 1988, his company invested in specialty store chains and changed its name to Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR). By the end of 1999, PPR shifted towards luxury and fashion. In 2003, he passed on the management of his companies to his elder son François-Henri to follow his passion for contemporary art.