PARIS (AP) - The tycoon stakeholder of French newspaper Liberation is defending his paper's stinging criticism of another tycoon: Europe's richest man, Bernard Arnault, who is seeking citizenship in Belgium, where taxes are lower.

Edouard de Rothschild said his paper's controversial headline Monday that told Arnault _ who's worth an estimated $41 billion _ to "Get lost, rich jerk" amounted to a "beautiful marketing operation."

It's thought that Arnault _the CEO of fashion giant LVMH _ is trying to dodge the Socialist government's planned 75 percent tax on the highest earners _ a charge he vehemently denies. Arnault is suing the paper for "public injury."

In a jibe, Rothschild said he would pay French taxes "wholeheartedly."

The newspaper plastered its Tuesday edition with ads for a top LVMH rival, fashion house YSL.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Comment

0

Share

0

Tweet

0

Print

Email

RSS Feeds