Billionaire patron Pinault given France’s top gong

The soon-to-be-departed French president, Franois Hollande, has been handing out gongs to arts and culture figures as part of the French establishments annual prize-giving pageant. Serge Lasvignes, the president of the Centre Pompidou was made a commander of the Lgion dhonneur, but Frances highest civilian distinction, the Dignity of the Great Cross (Grand-Croix), was awarded to the French luxury goods tycoon, Franois Pinault, who also owns Christies. Pinault runs two galleries in Venicethe Pala