Zatrun.com presents an in-depth exploration of the life and achievements of Alain Mérieux, a prominent figure in the field of biotechnology, a billionaire, and a respected French politician. Alain Mérieux, born on July 10, 1938, in Lyon, is one of the proprietors of the Mérieux Institute and holds the majority of shares in various companies, including bioMérieux (specializing in in vitro diagnostics), Transgene (immunotherapy), Mérieux NutriSciences (food safety and nutrition), ABL (contract research and bioproduction), and Mérieux Equity Partners (healthcare investments). Alain Mérieux’s fortune was estimated to be around 8 billion euros by Forbes in 2020, placing him among the wealthiest individuals in France.

Alain Mérieux: From Family Legacy to Billionaire Industrialist

Alain Mérieux was born into the Mérieux family, a prominent silk-manufacturing family in Lyon, on July 10, 1938. As the grandson of Marcel Mérieux, Alain inherited a rich family heritage. He embarked on his academic journey, studying at the Jesuit college Saint-Joseph in Lyon and later pursuing studies at Sciences Po, although he eventually abandoned his studies there in 1963 to complete his pharmacy internship in Lyon.

In 1960, Alain Mérieux graduated from the University of Lyon’s pharmacy faculty and continued his education at the Harvard Business School in the Program for Management Development. He married Chantal Berliet, the daughter of French automobile manufacturer Paul Berliet, resulting in the birth of their three sons: Christophe, Rodolphe, and Alexandre.

Alain Mérieux is the heir to the Mérieux Institute, which was founded by his grandfather Marcel Mérieux and initially specialized in vaccines. He served as the president of the Mérieux Institute (vaccines) from 1968 to 1994, at which point the vaccine-related activities were transferred to the Rhône Poulenc group.

In 1963, Alain Mérieux co-founded BD Mérieux with Becton Dickinson in the field of diagnostics. BD Mérieux later evolved into bioMérieux in 1974 when Alain Mérieux regained control of the company. BioMérieux was listed on the stock exchange thirty years later, in 2004.

In 1975, Alain Mérieux’s son, Christophe Mérieux, was kidnapped by the Lyonnais gang. He was eventually released after his parents paid a ransom of 20 million francs. During the 1990s, Alain Mérieux also held the position of the president of Transgene.

In 2008, he was appointed as the co-chair of the Franco-Chinese committee for combating emerging infectious diseases by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. The committee’s objective was to assist in the creation of a P4-type laboratory in Wuhan, China. In 2015, he stepped down from his role as co-chair of the joint committee overseeing the project.

Alain Mérieux passed on the presidency of bioMérieux to Jean Luc Belingard in 2010. In 2014, his son, Alexandre Mérieux, assumed the position of CEO of bioMérieux. In December 2017, Alexandre Mérieux succeeded Jean-Luc Belingard, becoming the chairman and CEO of bioMérieux.

In December 2018, Alain Mérieux received the Reform Friendship Award in Beijing during the event celebrating the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening-up. This award was a token of appreciation from the country for his contributions to public health, particularly in the realm of research on infectious diseases.

In 2019, Alain Mérieux faced allegations of tax evasion by Mediacités, which exposed the existence of a Luxembourg-based investment company associated with bioMérieux. This fiscal arrangement allowed him to acquire shares in a home healthcare company without the company paying the associated taxes in France. His fortune was estimated at the time to be between 4.4 and 5.2 billion euros by Forbes and Challenges. In 2020, it reached approximately 8 billion euros.

Philanthropy, Politics, and the Extraordinary Journey

Alain Mérieux serves as the president of the Mérieux Foundation, a recognized public utility organization dedicated to fighting infectious diseases in the world’s most disadvantaged countries, with a focus on strengthening their diagnostic capabilities.

He is also the honorary president of the Christophe and Rodolphe Mérieux Foundation, hosted at the Institut de France and a significant shareholder of the Mérieux Institute. Furthermore, Alain Mérieux is one of the founders and presidents of the “Entreprise des Possibles,” a philanthropic endowment fund with an innovative approach to aid the homeless in the Lyon metropolitan area.

This model is based on the collaboration of a collective of partner companies to support associations already engaged in the field, focusing on three areas: human support (donating time for volunteer missions), financial support (donating paid leave by employees, which will be monetized and supplemented by their employer), and real estate support (providing vacant premises).

Alain Mérieux’s political engagement dates back to the late 1970s when he associated with Michel Noir, an elected deputy in 1978, in a think tank that brought together academics and industrialists called the Velleda group. During the 1983 municipal elections in Lyon, he joined the list led by Michel Noir, but he was not elected.

In the 1986 regional elections, he led the list for the RPR in the Rhône-Alpes region. After the right’s victory, he became a regional councilor and assumed the position of the first vice-president of the council, responsible for International Affairs, Research, and Higher Education.

As a Gaullist, he joined the RPR in 1992. Jacques Chirac asked him to succeed Michel Noir as the head of the RPR federation in the Rhône in 1992. Chirac later designated him to lead the RPR-UDF coalition list in the 1992 regional elections, although he relinquished his position as the head of the list to the then-region’s president, Charles Millon.

During the 1993 legislative elections, Alain Mérieux was endorsed by the Union for France (a coalition of the RPR, to which he belonged, and the UDF) against Michel Noir. He was defeated in the second round with 41.69% of the votes. He had hoped to become a senator but felt deceived by the RPR.

In 1995, he ran again in the municipal elections in Lyon and succeeded in being elected this time. He served within the RPR and its affiliates group led by Jean-Michel Dubernard, which was part of the new municipal majority formed around Raymond Barre.

On April 23, 1998, under pressure, he left the RPR and resigned from his position as vice-president of the Rhône-Alpes regional council after he, along with Charles Millon and other vice-presidents, secured reelection with the votes of the National Front on March 20. During the 2001 municipal elections in Lyon, Alain Mérieux lent his support to Charles Millon (DLC), who lost to Gérard Collomb. After these elections, he stepped back from political life.

In conclusion, the life journey of Alain Mérieux, from a family steeped in a rich legacy to becoming a billionaire industrialist, is a remarkable narrative of success and influence. His contributions to the field of biotechnology and diagnostics have significantly impacted the healthcare industry. Furthermore, his commitment to philanthropy, politics, and his innovative initiatives to assist the homeless make him a multifaceted personality.

Zatrun.com has explored the diverse facets of Alain Mérieux’s life, shedding light on his extraordinary journey. From founding and leading companies to his extensive philanthropic efforts and political engagements, Alain Mérieux’s story is a testament to a life lived with dedication and a profound impact on society.