The heir to the Louis Vuitton empire is being targeted by thieves who are stealing “millions of pounds” worth of watches, jewelery and “very valuable prototype” bags from an apartment in an upscale Paris area.

An heir to the Louis Vuitton empire had his flat in Paris broken into, with thieves stealing “millions of pounds” worth of luxury goods.

Benoit-Louis Vuitton, a sixth-generation descendant of the legendary fashion house’s founder, was attacked on Sunday evening from his home in the posh seventh arrondissement of the French capital.

Louis Vuitton’s great-great-great-grandson, who works as business director of arts, culture and heritage at the eponymous label, said unreleased watches, jewelry and bags were stolen.

Louis Vuitton is known for its luxurious and expensive leather goods, such as this bag, which costs around £3,000

The exact value of the pieces, which were taken from the heir’s house near the Invalides Military Museum, is still being determined, but according to Actu17 they are said to be worth several million euros.

An investigation is underway, Paris prosecutors said, with the capital’s anti-gang unit handling the case.

The burglary took place on Sunday night when the flat was empty, it said. Some of the bags seized are “extremely valuable prototypes”.

Louis Vuitton, who founded his eponymous luxury house in 1854 to produce luggage, died in 1892 at the age of 70.

In 1987, the company merged with champagne maker Moet et Chandon and cognac brand Hennessy to form LVMH, which is now the world’s largest luxury company with 75 brands and 175,000 employees.

Louis Vuitton bags with the famous “LV” monogram are among the most sought-after fashion items in the world and are often copied by counterfeiters.

Benoit-Louis Vuitton attends the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Boston Hot Pink Party on April 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The heir’s house is located in an exclusive area of ​​Paris, near the Invalides military museum, pictured here on October 18, 2022

Last week, counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags were among nearly €1 million worth of counterfeit goods found by police in a raid on a secret store near Paris.

In September, a group of armed robbers stole 300 Louis Vuitton bags with an estimated retail value of several hundred thousand euros from a contractor working for the company.