IN 2000, the Swiss hearing aid magnate Andreas Rihs bought his first French holiday home in an ancient forest in the Luberon, a violet valley of lavender and grapevines, honeycombed with abandoned ocher mines and embellished with medieval hilltop towns. The house was always so full of friends and fellow epicures, his son Tobias Rihs recalls, that when he and his brother wanted to visit, they had to book in advance, like at a hotel.
What's a wine-loving, Tour de France team-sponsoring billionaire bon vivant to do when he outgrows his villa? Buy a village.
The elder Rihs purchased a nearby hamlet founded by Cistercian monks and its backwater winery, Domaine du Coquillade, in 2006. He sank millions into modernizing the winery, rehabilitating 42 acres of vineyards, building a world-class cycling center (he founded the Swiss BMC cycling brand), and restoring the original buildings to create a 63-key property, Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa, part of the Relais & Châteaux association of luxury resorts. Rated the best resort in France last year by Travel + Leisure, it's an example of an albergo diffuso, a hotel in which rooms, restaurants, and amenities are spread throughout the restored relics of an abandoned or neglected town-usually far removed from the crowded tourist mainstays.
This story is from the August - September 2023 edition of Fortune US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August - September 2023 edition of Fortune US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AI Isn't Coming for Your Job At Least Not Yet
So far, the technology has replaced only a small number of workers. But the future risks many more.
THE TRUTH EVEN HE CAN'T DUCK
Aflac's DAN AMOS has spent his 34 years as CEO selling insurance against illness and death. Now he has to confront his aging customers' mortality and his own.
THE NEW HOLLYWOOD POWER PARADIGM
Inside the sisterhood of stars changing the narrative.
SAUDI ARABIA'S POWER PIPELINE
The oil earnings flowing from the most profitable company in history are helping the Saudi kingdom shake up the global economyand the old geopolitical order.
THE [FOREVER] FOUNDER
Michael Dell turned his dorm-room PC company into the go-to hardware provider for 99% of the Fortune 500. Now the longest-standing founder-CEO in tech has a chance to cash in on the AI bbom—and make himself and his company bigger than ever.
HOW BOEING BROKE DOWN
Boeing's strategy sent the stock soaring more than 1,000% over 20 years. But it contained dangerous flaws that are only now coming into view amid a drumbeat of terrible news.
The Art of Banking
To appeal to the ultrawealthy, banks like UBS keep fine art-and art expertsclose at hand.
Is the Bitcoin Bull Market Safe to Buy?
ETFs have made Bitcoin investing easier than ever. But they may be adding air to a bubble.
Goodbye, Tough Guy
More executives are going on all-male retreats to open up, feel less lonely, and build empathy.
Memo to Silicon Valley: Bring It On
New York City's Runway was the pioneering leader in Al-generated video for years. Now ChatGPT maker OpenAl is coming for it.