In 1961, he started a teen magazine and sold it off a few years later. He then worked for Suez, Masson, and Valeurs Actuelles. He worked for L'Oréal for fifteen years, and was its CEO for a while. He served as the Chairman of Duff & Phelps. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Renault, L'Oréal, Groupe Casino, Gilbert Coullier Productions, Cassina, and Canal Plus. He is Honorary Chairman of the Comité national des conseillers du commerce extérieur de la France (French National Committee of Foreign Trade Advisors), and a member of the Consultative Committee of Banque de France. He is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.