As Donald Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20, he was flanked by some of the world’s wealthiest people. The billionaires present that day — including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg — had never been richer, flush with big gains from frothy stock markets.
Seven weeks later, it’s a different story. The start of Trump’s second term has delivered a stunning reversal for many of those billionaires sitting behind Trump in the Capitol Rotunda, with five having lost a combined $210 billion in wealth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The period between Trump’s election and his inauguration was a boon for the world’s wealthiest, with the S&P 500 Index hitting several all-time highs. Investors piled into equity and crypto markets, expecting that Trump’s policies would be advantageous to business.
Musk’s Tesla Inc. gained 98% in the weeks after the election, hitting a record high. Arnault’s LVMH added 7% in the week before Inauguration Day, making the French magnate $12 billion richer.
Even Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms Inc., which banned Trump from the social-media platform in 2021, gained 9% before the beginning of the new term and an additional 20% in his first four weeks in office.
But any expectations that the start of Trump’s new term would continue to fuel market returns have been upended. The S&P 500 has lost almost 7% since he took office, as mass layoffs of government employees and the president’s back-and-forth on tariffs have roiled equities, with the benchmark index tumbling more than 3% on Monday.
The companies behind the inauguration attendees’ fortunes have been some of the biggest losers, falling by a combined $1.43 trillion in market value since Jan. 17, the last trading day before the inauguration. Here’s a look at some of those fortunes as of 2 p.m. Monday:
Elon Musk (down 5 billion)
The 53-year-old Tesla chief executive officer’s net worth peaked at $486 billion on Dec. 17, the largest fortune ever recorded on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Most of his gains came from Tesla, whose stock nearly doubled after the election. Since then, the electric carmaker has given up all of those gains, knocking Musk’s net worth down by $157 billion. Consumers in Europe have soured on Musk’s support for far-right politicians, with Tesla sales in Germany falling by more than 70% in the first two months of the year. Chinese shipments also fell by 49% last month to levels not seen since July 2022.
Jeff Bezos (down billion)
Bezos, 61, who clashed with Trump over the postal service and his ownership of the Washington Post during the president’s first term, congratulated Trump the day after the election on Musk’s X social-media platform. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund in December, and Bezos dined with the president last month, the same day that Bezos announced that his newspaper will prioritize personal liberties and free markets in its opinion section. Amazon shares have fallen 15% since Jan. 17.
Sergey Brin (down billion)
Brin, 51, who co-founded the company then known as Google with Larry Page and still retains a 6% stake, joined a protest against the Trump administration’s immigration policy at the San Francisco airport in 2017. After Trump was re-elected in November, Brin dined with him at Mar-a-Lago the following month. Alphabet Inc.’s shares tumbled more than 7% in early February after it missed quarterly revenue estimates. Representatives from Alphabet, which is currently facing pressure from the Justice Department to break up its search engine company, last week met with the government and asked it to take a less aggressive stance.
Mark Zuckerberg (down billion)
Meta was the standout winner among the Magnificent Seven tech stocks at the beginning of this year. Even as the group of companies that has powered much of the S&P 500’s gains over the past few years were flatlining, Meta rose 19% from mid-January to mid-February. Since then, though, the stock has lost all those gains. The Magnificent Seven index is down 21% since its mid-December high.
Arnault, 76, whose family owns the luxury conglomerate behind brands including Louis Vuitton and Bulgari, has been a friend of Trump’s for decades, speaking with the then-candidate the day after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt in July. After declining through most of 2024, LVMH jumped more than 20% from the election through late January. It’s since given up most of those gains. Morningstar analysts said last month that a 10% to 20% tariff on European luxury goods could depress sales, which have already been struggling.
Golden Goose is packing in a lot of excitement and features to its new London pop-up store with the Italian footwear brand having just unveiled its exclusive takeover of The Corner Shop at Selfridges.
Ahead of opening of its first London standalone store on Mount Street later this year, a taster of things to come can be seen until 12 April with the “one-of-a-kind” pop-up.
With a focus on “co-creation and shared moments”, the brand has transformed the temporary space into an “intimate, Italy-infused… archive of dreams”.
Drawing inspiration from the brand’s Venetian headquarters and artisanal heritage, the design blends “vintage aesthetics with contemporary craftsmanship”, featuring salvaged wood walls and furnishings alongside archival souvenirs.
At the heart of the pop-up, a vintage table hosts Co-Creation, a one-to-one personalisation experience with ‘Golden Goose Dream Makers’. Here, clients can personalise their favourite pieces with patches, charms, pins, brooches, crystals, studs and other embellishments.
Additional artisanal treatments, such as distressing, embroidery, and hand-painted designs “ensure each item is one of a kind, becoming a unique expression of individuality”.
But of course, product is key and the Corner Shop installation features a rotating focus each week, offering an “ever-evolving selection” of ready-to-wear, boots, bags & accessories and sneakers, including limited-edition and archive pieces. Here, the “standout highlight” is the global preview of the True-Star sneaker – the brand’s most anticipated release – available exclusively in the space.
Next to the Co-Creation space, Golden Goose has also unveiled its ‘Con Amore’ corner, where “every moment becomes a gesture of love”. Inspired by Italy’s floral shops, the area offers personalised gift wrapping, curated ribbons, and decorative bows – “elevating gifting into an art form”. It also provides visitors with coffee, sweet treats, and fresh flowers, “inviting them to pause and connect”.
Every week, Golden Goose will also hosts a series of immersive Co-Creation workshops. Customers can personalise their Marathon Sneakers with exclusive design options, such as changing the label tab; add a retro twist with keychains, laces, and charms on the Forty2 Sneakers; enhance their sneakers and nails with crystal embellishments; and express their creativity by personalising archive products with tattoo-inspired artwork.
Golden Goose CEO Silvio Campara talked of bringing its “craftsmanship and heritage to such an iconic space”, noting: “This pop-up offers a unique opportunity to connect with the Selfridges community and customers, showcasing our distinct DNA and Co-Creation services. It’s more than just a retail space, it’s an immersive journey where artisanal tradition and community unite, placing the client at the heart of every experience.”
He also said the pop-up “marks a key milestone in Golden Goose’s expansion in the UK… This is the first step towards a larger presence in the UK, culminating in the highly anticipated opening of our flagship store on Mount Street later this year – a space that will elevate the in-store and Co-Creation experience to new heights.”
Malìparmi is embarking on a new chapter, setting its sights on a 25% revenue increase by 2028. Leading the charge is Virginia Da Sie, granddaughter of the brand’s founder, who has been appointed chief executive officer of the heritage label known for its bold prints and vibrant colors since its launch in the 1970s.
Virginia Da Sie
Virginia, now the third generation to lead Malìparmi, takes over from her mother, Annalisa Paresi, the driving force behind the brand’s international success. Paresi will remain with the company as president of the newly formed board of directors, supporting her daughter in style and marketing decisions.
A Bocconi University graduate with a Master of Science in Management, Virginia joined the family business after gaining experience in Italy and abroad. She started at Malìparmi as a retail buyer before moving into digital communication and e-commerce.
“I grew up immersed in fashion, learning from my mother and embracing the joy of creating,” says Virginia Da Sie. “This journey has been invaluable in ensuring continuity for the brand and securing its future with a strong sense of responsibility and a deep understanding of what women want today. That’s why I’m so excited to lead this new chapter of Malìparmi—a brand created by women, for women.”
“There is a strong synergy between Virginia and me, allowing us to collaborate with mutual respect for our skills, experience, and expertise,” adds Annalisa Paresi. “In a family business, passing the baton from one generation to the next is never easy, but in our case, it’s happening seamlessly, built on trust and shared vision.”
As the leadership transition unfolds, Malìparmi’s design studio is also undergoing a transformation. A new designer will take the creative reins, working closely with Virginia and Annalisa to shape the brand’s fall-winter 2025/26 collections.
A look from Malìparmi fall-winter 2025/26
This restructuring comes as Malìparmi focuses on growth after a challenging 2024. The company closed the year with €21 million in revenue but fell short of breaking even due to a sluggish second half impacted by macroeconomic conditions.
Looking ahead to 2025, the company expects financial stabilization amid an uncertain market and ongoing brand repositioning. Growth is projected to increase in 2026, driven by retail and e-commerce expansion.
In late 2024, Malìparmi opened its third store in Spain—following Madrid and Barcelona—bringing its total number of mono-brand stores to 18 (12 in Italy, 6 internationally). The brand also relocated its Bologna store to the fashion district and plans to open three more standalone boutiques by 2028—two in Italy and one abroad.
Currently, retail accounts for 30% of Malìparmi’s revenue, with Italy as its leading market (60%), followed by Spain (10%). The brand’s growth strategy will also focus on e-commerce, which currently makes up 5% of total sales. A new high-performance platform, developed in collaboration with luxury e-commerce specialist The Level Group, is set to accelerate international expansion, focusing on the U.S. market.
Pop Mart is launching a six-week pop-up on the toy floor of Harrods on Friday (14 March). How is this relevant to fashion? Well, the company is “a market-leading character-based entertainment company and a global champion of designer toy culture”. And it’s big on items like small accessories and bag charms.
Its key characters include The Monsters (especially Labubu) and the pop-up will see The Monsters creator — Hong Kong-based illustrator Kasing Lung — making his debut in the UK.
The pop-up will feature exclusive Labubu collectibles, limited editions, and hot products. And ‘hot’ is likely to be the key word here with Labubu items heavily in demand and getting extra attention outside of the world of toy collectors. That’s partly because Labubu bag accessories have been seen on major celeb influencers Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Blackpink’s Rosa. And where that trio goes, the pounds, euros and dollars tend to follow.
So what will happen at the pop-up? Importantly, there will be a special signing event with Kasing Lung, his first-ever visit to the UK and also his first-ever appearance in Europe, and fans will get the chance to win exclusives.
Peter Shipman, marketing director and head of Europe, said that Harrods is “the perfect venue for our first-ever pop-up in the UK”.
That’s hard to argue with given that Harrods in Knightsbridge seems to be one of the two most popular venues for high-end pop-ups in London, along with Selfridges over in the West End.