Early Life
Margarita Olegovna Bogdanova was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia, on July 1, 1962. Her parents died when she was young, and she was raised by her grandfather. She studied law and economics. In 1988, she met Robert Louis-Dreyfus on a flight. They married in 1992 and had three sons: Eric, and twins Maurice and Kyril.
Rise to Success
Her life changed when she met Robert Louis-Dreyfus, whom she married in 1992. After her husband's death in 2009, Margarita inherited a majority stake in the Louis Dreyfus Group, a global merchant and processor of agricultural goods founded in 1851. She became the chairwoman of the company. She also became involved with the Olympique de Marseille football club.
Key Business Strategies
Margarita has focused on preserving the Louis Dreyfus commodities group for her husband's heirs. She sold the company's energy trading business in 2012 and increased her stake in the Louis-Dreyfus Group. She has also been involved in the French soccer team Olympique Marseille, selling it in 2016.
Philanthropy
Margarita is the founder and president of the Paris-based Louis Dreyfus Foundation, which aims to reduce hunger and poverty by providing sustainable solutions to small farmers. In 2024, she founded Human Change (HC) at Davos, a global coalition focused on the impact of digital devices and social media on children's well-being.
