24.01.2026 20:30
Due to discomfort in his right eye for some time, Macron has appeared in public with pilot glasses, and he has become so accustomed to this new accessory that the "Top Gun" image he showcased at the Davos podium shook the markets. The 659 Euro lenses that conceal Macron's gaze sent the shares of the Italian company that produces the glasses soaring. The company's market value increased by 3.5 million Euros in a single day.
French President Emmanuel Macron has become so accustomed to the pilot sunglasses he started wearing due to discomfort in his eye that he made a splash at the Davos Summit with this image. Macron's "cool" style not only shook up social media but also sent the stock prices of the eyewear manufacturer soaring.
NEVER TAKING THEM OFF
Macron has been showing up in critical meetings indoors wearing sunglasses for some time now. Initially thought to be a temporary measure, Macron has fully embraced this situation.
The sunglasses he started using due to a subconjunctival hemorrhage (blood vessel rupture) in his right eye became the most talked-about non-economic detail of Davos. Although Macron described this condition as "harmless," his gaze hidden behind the mirrored lenses added a different atmosphere to the diplomatic setting.
MACRON EFFECT: COMPANY STOCKS ROSE BY 28%
As the president got used to his glasses, the markets reacted instantly to Macron's style. The stocks of the Italian iVision Tech company, which owns the French brand Henry Jullien, gained 28% in value following Macron's speech in Davos. The company's CEO, Stefano Fulchir, summarized the situation as "a real wow effect on the stock." Due to the high demand for the Pacific S 01 model, the brand of the glasses, the company's website crashed.
iVision Tech stocks also rose by about 6% on Wednesday, and then were automatically suspended for most of the day on the Milan Stock Exchange. The stocks were briefly reopened for trading on Thursday but were later halted again.
Fulchir stated in an interview with Reuters that he clearly recognized the glasses as belonging to the Henry Jullien brand and that he personally sent this model to Macron in 2024.
ONLY 1000 UNITS PRODUCED, SOLD FOR 659 EUROS
Produced in only a thousand units per year and sold for 659 euros (approximately 34,000 TL), the specially designed glasses have practically become a new part of Macron. The French leader's choice increased the brand's market value by 3.5 million euros in just one day.
SOCIAL MEDIA MAVERICK AND COBRA TREND
Macron's mirrored pilot sunglasses have sparked a creativity competition on social media. Thousands of users compared Macron to the legendary pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) from the Top Gun movie and the character played by Sylvester Stallone in the Cobra film.
Visuals produced with artificial intelligence showing Macron walking in Davos in a flight suit instead of a suit received millions of views.
The international press has also brought the issue to the headlines; the Wall Street Journal emphasized the power of this new image by stating, "Forget Greenland, Macron's glasses have taken over Davos."