Édouard Carmignac is a French entrepreneur, the self-made founder, Chairman, and CEO of Carmignac, a major independent and family-owned asset management firm. Born in Paris in 1947, his childhood was international: he grew up in Peru, where his father ran an import-export business, and attended a British school.

Carmignac received a comprehensive education, earning a Master's degree in economics from the Sorbonne (1969), followed by an MBA from Columbia University's Business School (1972). His career began on Wall Street as a financial analyst at Blyth Eastman Dillon. This global financial expertise, combined with his unique perspective gained from living abroad, led him to recognize the immense, untapped opportunity for independent fund management in France.

Édouard Carmignac's entrepreneurial act came in 1989 when he founded Carmignac (initially named Hamant Carmignac, and later spun off with Éric Helderlé) with the strategic goal of capturing the market share of French savings that were not under independent fund management (less than 10 percent at the time). His firm quickly gained immense credibility by delivering strong returns across its funds.

Under his leadership as Chairman and CEO, Carmignac grew into one of Europe's largest independent asset managers, specializing in multi-asset and equity funds. His wealth is secured by the immense success and growth of the privately held firm. Beyond finance, Carmignac is a compulsive art collector (owning works by Basquiat, Lichtenstein, and Richter) and founded the Fondation Carmignac in 2000 to promote modern art and photojournalism (via the Carmignac Photojournalism Award), blending his financial power with cultural patronage.

Édouard Carmignac's social impact is structural, stemming from Carmignac's role in professionalizing and expanding independent asset management in France and Europe. His firm provides essential investment services to millions of savers and investors.

His personal philanthropy, through the Fondation Carmignac, is a massive contribution to modern art and photojournalism, fostering creative talent and journalistic integrity globally. His career provides an example of a European executive who used global education to create a dominant, independent financial institution.

Édouard Carmignac maintains the highly professional, cultured style of a French finance leader and art patron. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic is one of intellectual rigor, blending the world of finance with his passion for Modernist art.

Residing in Paris, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to the long-term, independent management of his investment firm and his commitment to cultural patronage.