François-Marie Banier () (born 27 June 1947) is a French novelist, playwright, artist, actor and photographer. His published works include ''Le Passé Composé'' (1971) and ''Balthazar, Fils de Famille'' (1985). Banier is particularly known for his photographs of celebrities and other public figures and for his friendships with members of high society. In a prominent legal case, in 2016 he was convicted of 'abuse of weakness' of the elderly billionaire

Liliane Bettencourt Liliane Henriette Charlotte Bettencourt (; née Schueller; 21 October 1922 – 21 September 2017) was a French heiress, socialite and businesswoman. She was a board member and one of the principal shareholders of L'Oréal. At the time of her ...

Life and career

Banier was born on June 27, 1947 in Paris, France. A second son, he grew up in a middle-class family in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (; ) is the westernmost of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the city's Right Bank, it is adjacent to the 17th and 8th arrondissements to the northeast, as well as to the ...

. He has claimed he had been "completely incomprehensible to isparents".Generous to a Fault?
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 21 August 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2010. Although Banier was brought up as a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, his Hungarian-born father (actual name: Banyaï) concealed the fact that he had converted from

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

under the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

regime. His father was an advertising executive, who beat him for disobeying “idiotic rules” and this led him to attempt suicide at the age of 15. Despite his modest background, from an early age he was a precocious and hyperactive talent, who was able to develop friendships with some of Paris' wealthiest arts patrons and artists. At the age of 16, he met

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

, who would send his car to bring Banier to his suite at the Hotel Meurice to discuss art.Because he’s worth it?
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'', 15 December 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2010. At the age of 19, he befriended the wealthy heiress and patron of the arts

Marie-Laure de Noailles Marie-Laure de Noailles in 1949, photographed by Carl van Vechten Marie-Laure Henriette Anne de Noailles, Vicomtesse de Noailles (; née Bischoffsheim; 31 October 1902 – 29 January 1970) was a French artist, regarded one of the 20th century' ...

who was then 64. By the time he was 20, Banier was working as the house press officer for

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (born Pietro Costante Cardin; 2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020) was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometry, geometric shap ...

. While working at Cardin, he began taking photographs, and among his earliest subjects was novelist

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

. In 1969, Banier published his first novel, ''Les Résidences secondaires ou la Vie distraite'' (''Second Homes or Distracted Life''), at the age of 22. Around the same time, a well-known Parisian designer and antique dealer Madeleine Castaing collected some of his photographs. In 1971, Banier published his second novel, ''Le Passé Composé''. During this period Banier was involved with interior designer Jacques Grange. In 1972, fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent invited them to

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

for

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

where they met artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

. In August 1972, ''The'' ''Sunday Times Magazine'' ran a cover story by

James Fox James William Fox (born William Fox; 19 May 1939) is an English actor known for his work in film and television. Fox's career began in the 1960s through roles in films such as '' The Servant'' and ''Performance''. He is also known for his role ...

titled "François-Marie Banier—Golden Boy of Paris," accompanied by photos of Banier around Paris by

Eve Arnold Eve Arnold, OBE (honorary), FRPS (honorary) (née Cohen; April 21, 1912January 4, 2012) was an American photojournalist, long-resident in the UK. She joined Magnum Photos agency in 1951, and became a full member in 1957. She was the first wom ...

. "When James's story came out I received thousands of letters from English boys. Girls sent me pictures of themselves in the nude. I received money in the mail … James's article was cretinous. It did me a disservice by missing the anxiety of my youth, the difficulty I was experiencing as a young boy alone, in front of life without family," Banier said. His third novel, ''La Tête la Première (Head First),'' was published in 1972. In 1975, he wrote his first play, ''Hôtel du Lac.'' Banier's photographs were first exhibited at the

Centre Pompidou The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the (), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English and colloquially as Beaubourg, is a building complex in Paris, France. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture by the architectural team of ...

in Paris in 1991. He has since exhibited his work internationally including at the Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Tokyo, Museum Haus Lange in Krefeld, and

Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a sixteenth-century Italian Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with 7-hectare Italian garden, contiguous with the more extensive Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in the historic ...

in Rome.

Personal life

Banier lives and works in Paris. He was romantically linked to interior designer Jacques Grange. He dated actor

Pascal Greggory Pascal Greggory (born 8 September 1954) is a French actor. Personal life Greggory is openly gay. He had long-term relationships with Patrice Chéreau and François-Marie Banier. Filmography * '' Les Sœurs Brontë'' (1979) by André Téchiné ...

and they lived together for seven years. Banier lives with his partner, Greggory's nephew, Martin d’Orgeval. Over the years, Banier befriended many well-known public figures and celebrities, including Yves Saint Laurent,

Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (; born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois ch ...

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (November 5, 1989) was a Russian and American pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all time, he was known for his virtuoso technique, timbre, and the public excitement engendered by his playing. Life ...

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (; 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the Surrealism, surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littératur ...

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

and

Princess Caroline of Monaco Princess Caroline of Monaco (born 23 January 1957) is Princess of Hanover by marriage to Prince Ernst August. As the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, she is the elder sister of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and ...

.The bitter family battle for the L’Oréal billion
, ''

The Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...

'', 20 July 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2010.Because she’s worth charming
''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 21 December 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2010. Banier is a friend of

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...

and his former partner

Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model and actress. Paradis became a star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single " Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's highest ho ...

, whom he met at his home in the south of France.L'Oréal heiress gives €1bn to photographer 'because he's worth it'
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 15 December 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2010. Banier is godfather to their daughter,

Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French and American actress. Born to actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, she began her acting career in film with a minor role in ''Tusk'' (2014) and pursued a career as a fashion model. She ap ...

.Le favori qui valait un milliard
, ''

Le Journal du Dimanche ''Le Journal du Dimanche'' (; ), also known as the JDD , is a French weekly newspaper published on Sundays in France. JDD was bought in 2023 by Vivendi of media mogul Vincent Bolloré, triggering a strike movement against the new editorial s ...

'', 26 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2010. Banier is also a close friend of Lord Cholmondeley and is the godfather of his twins, Alexander Hugh George and Oliver Timothy George.

Relationship with Liliane Bettencourt

In 1987, Banier was commissioned to photograph

and

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

for the French magazine ''Egoiste''. Bettencourt was one of the principal

shareholder A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of corporate stock refers to an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the ...

s of

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French multinational personal care corporation registered in Paris

and one of the wealthiest people in the world with an estimated fortune of US$40.1 billion. Over the ensuing years, Banier and Bettencourt became friends and she became his chief benefactor, bestowing gifts upon him estimated to be worth as much as €1.3 billion. These gifts included a life insurance policy worth €253 million in 2003, another life insurance policy worth €262 million in 2006, 11 works of art in 2001 valued at €20 million, including paintings by

Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

Mondrian Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, , ), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He was one of the pioneers o ...

, Delaunay and

Léger Leger or Léger may refer to: People * Léger (surname), a list of people with the surname Léger or Leger * Leodegar or Leger (615-679), Chalcedonian saint, martyr and Bishop of Autun * Leger Djime (born 1987), Chadian footballer * Leger Douz ...

and a photograph by surrealist

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American naturalized French visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, ...

and cash. The life insurance policies were allegedly signed over to Banier after Bettencourt was recovering from two hospital stays in 2003 and 2006. In December 2007,

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers Françoise Bettencourt Meyers (; born 10 July 1953) is a French businesswoman, philanthropist, writer, billionaire heiress, and the richest woman in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$89.6 billion as of May 2025, according to ''Forbes' ...

, the daughter of Bettencourt, lodged a criminal complaint against Banier, accusing him of ''abus de faiblesse'' (or the exploitation of a physical or psychological weakness for personal gain) over Bettencourt.Une affaire de famille
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'', 11 March 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2010. As a result of her complaint, the Brigade Financière, the financial investigative arm of the French national police, opened an investigation and, after interviewing members of Bettencourt's staff, determined to present the case to a court in

Nanterre Nanterre (; ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, b ...

for trial in September 2009. In December 2009, the court delayed ruling on the case until April 2010 (later extended until July 2010) pending the results of a medical examination of Bettencourt's mental state.Heiress Case Delayed, With Medical Tests Ordered
''

'', 11 December 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2010. However, Bettencourt refused to submit to these examinations.Secret Tapes Delay L'Oréal Heiress Case
''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', 2 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010. In July 2010, the trial was adjourned again until autumn 2010, at the earliest, after details of tape recordings made by Bettencourt's butler became public. The tapes allegedly reveal that Bettencourt had made Banier her "sole heir" (excluding the L'Oréal shares which made up the bulk of her estate and which had already been signed over to her daughter and two grandsons).Embarrassment for Sarkozy as £1bn L'Oréal feud comes to court
''

'', 2 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010. Bettencourt later removed Banier from her will.French police raid home of L'Oreal heiress

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, 1 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010. In 2015 Banier was convicted of 'abuse of weakness' of Liliane Bettencourt, prosecutor Gérard Aldigé stating he had "imposed his control over her like a spider spinning its web. And once he had her in his net, he never let her go. She became his thing. He dealt with her like a vampire." Banier was sentenced to two and a half years prison, and ordered to pay €158 million in damages to Liliane Bettencourt. Seven other defendants, including Liliane Bettencourt’s financial advisor, lawyer, and notary, were also convicted and given lesser sentences. Banier appealed. The second trial, which concluded in May 2016, upheld the conviction, but reduced his sentence to four years suspended and a €375,000 fine, cancelling the other damages.

Selected works

Novels * ''Les Résidences Secondaires'', Grasset, 1969 * ''Le Passé composé'', Grasset, 1971 * ''La Tête la première'', Grasset, 1972 * ''Balthazar, fils de famille'', Gallimard, 1985,

Grand prix des lectrices de Elle The Grand prix des lectrices de Elle is a French literary prize awarded by readers of ''Elle'' magazine. History Unlike other literary prizes that have professionals for their juries and selection committees, the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle i ...

* ''Sur un air de fête'', Gallimard, 1990 * ''Les Femmes du métro Pompe'', Gallimard, 2006 * ''Johnny Dasolo'', Gallimard, 2008 Plays * ''Hôtel du lac'', Gallimard, 1975 * ''Nous ne connaissons pas la même personne'', Grasset, 1978 * ''Je ne t'ai jamais aimé'', Gallimard, 2000 Art books * ''On N'est Jamais Tranquile'', Steidl, 2010 Photography books * Photographies, Gallimard/Denoël, 1991 * Past-Present, William Morrow, New York, 1996 ; Schirmer/Mosel, Munich 1997 * Vivre, São Paulo, Pinacoteca do Estado ; Rio de Janeiro, Museum de Arte Moderna, 1999 * François-Marie Banier, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Asahi Schimbun, 2000 * Brésil, Gallimard, 2001 * François-Marie Banier, Miami Beach, Bass Museum of Art ; Gallimard, 2003 * Le Chanteur muet des rues, en collaboration avec Erri de Luca, éd. Martin d'Orgeval, Gallimard, 2006 * Perdre la tête, Die schönsten deutschen Bücher (Prix du meilleur livre allemand, section photographie), 2006 ; Silver Crown Award, Moscou, 2007 * Vive la vie, with photographs of

Natalia Vodianova Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova (; born 28 February 1982), nicknamed Supernova, is a Russian supermodel and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. In 2012, she came in third on ''Forbes'' top-earning models list, estimated to have earned $8.6 ...

. Steidl, Göttingen, Germany, 2008. . * Beckett, Steidl, 2009

Exhibitions

* 1991 : Musée national d'Art moderne, Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris * 1994 : Bunkamera Gallery, Tokyo ; galerie Beatrice Wassermann, Munich * 1997 : Villa Farnèse, Rome * 1998 : Private Heroes, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart * 2000 : Fotos y Pinturas, musée national des Beaux Arts d'Argentine, Buenos Aires * 2001 : Täglich Neues, musée Ludwig ; Coblence ; Budapest * 2003 : Maison européenne de la photographie, Paris * 2003 : Transphotographiques, Lille, Crypte de la Cathédrale de la Treille * 2005 : Perdre la tête, Académie de France à Rome, Villa Medici * 2006 : True Stories, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul * 2007 : Perdre la tête, Manège de Moscou * 2007 : Galerie Gagosian, Los Angeles * 2007 : Written Photos, Villa Oppenheim, Berlin * 2007 : Transphotographiques, Lille, Eglise St Maurice * 2009 : Beckett, Maison de la Photographie, Lille

Filmography

* Chassé-croisé, film by Arielle Dombasle, 1982 *

L'Argent ("Money") is the eighteenth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in the periodical '' Gil Blas'' beginning in November 1890 before being published in novel form by Charpentier et Fasquelle in March 1891. T ...

, film by

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson made a notable contribution to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, an ...

, 1983 * La Nuit porte-jarretelles, film by Virginie Thévenet, 1985 * 4 aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle, film by

Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the Post-war, p ...

, 1987 *

L'Arbre, le maire et la médiathèque ''The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque'' (; known also as ''Les sept hasards'') is a 1993 French comedy-drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer. The film was shown at the 1993 Montreal World Film Festival where it received the FIPRESC ...

, film by

, 1993 * L'Anglaise et le Duc, film by

, 2001 * L'Heure d'été, film by Olivier Assayas, 2008

References

External links

* * http://www.quotidien-libre.fr/loreal-bettencourt-proces-cloture/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Banier, Francois-Marie 1947 births Living people Novelists from Paris French gay writers French gay artists Photographers from Paris 20th-century French novelists 21st-century French novelists 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights 21st-century French dramatists and playwrights French LGBTQ novelists French LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights French LGBTQ painters French LGBTQ photographers Gay dramatists and playwrights Gay novelists Gay painters Gay photographers French male dramatists and playwrights French male novelists 20th-century French male writers 21st-century French male writers French prisoners and detainees