Gérald Frère is a Belgian billionaire businessman, the Chairman of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL), one of Belgium's largest holding companies. His immense wealth is rooted in his family's industrial empire, founded by his late father, Albert Frère (d. 2018), who started by selling nails and later consolidated the entire steel industry in the Charleroi region.

Gérald is the eldest son of Albert Frère and the primary steward of the family's assets. His father sold his steel enterprises to the Belgian state in the late 1970s and used the proceeds to build a massive investment empire around the Swiss holding company Pargesa, which controls GBL. Gérald's career has been defined by governance and financial oversight in high-level Belgian finance.

Gérald Frère assumed the role of Chairman of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) in January 2012, succeeding his father as CEO and then Chairman. GBL is a leading Belgian holding company, with significant stakes in major European companies (e.g., adidas, SGS, Pernod Ricard). The family's wealth is protected by their controlling interest in Pargesa Holding (Swiss holding company) and Financière de la Sambre.

His career included a controversial move into public service: he was successfully appointed as a Regent at the National Bank of Belgium in 1998, a position his father lobbied aggressively for (despite objections of nepotism). In April 2018, Gérald was himself accused of nepotism for appointing his own son, Cédric, to the same regency. His wealth is tied to the long-term, stable returns generated by GBL's diversified, actively managed portfolio of European industrial and consumer assets.

Gérald Frère's social impact is structural, stemming from GBL's role as a major provider of patient capital to essential European industries, ensuring their stability and growth. The company’s investments create thousands of stable jobs globally.

His family's foundations support various educational, cultural, and community initiatives (e.g., Fonds Charles-Albert Frère). His career is a testament to the profitability of strategic financial restructuring and active governance in the high-stakes European industrial sector.

Gérald Frère maintains the professional, composed style of a Belgian financier. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring dark, tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and immense financial authority, befitting a major figure in European high finance.

Residing in Charleroi, Belgium, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to the stewardship of his family's industrial and financial legacy, managing a vast portfolio of strategic European assets.