Billionaire Louis-Dreyfus Gets $457 Million From Trading Giant

  • Russian-born heiress sold 45% of Louis Dreyfus Co. to ADQ
  • Trading house has profited from increased volatility, prices

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus

Photographer: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images

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Just over a year ago, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus’s financial outlook looked grim.

The Russian-born heiress was trying to sell a stake in Louis Dreyfus Co., one of the world’s biggest agricultural commodity trading houses, after she borrowed more than $1 billion from Credit Suisse Group AG to buy out family members. More than $400 million of debt was coming due by the end of 2020.