Louis Dreyfus Company B.V.

Founded in 1851 by Léopold Dreyfus, an 18-year-old son of a farmer from Sierentz in the Alsace region of France. Léopold purchased wheat from local farmers and transported it to Basel, Switzerland, developing a fortune through cross-border cereal trading. He rapidly diversified into shipping, weapons manufacturing, agriculture, oil and banking, establishing one of Europe's wealthiest dynasties.