Belgian MPs deny claims France's richest man is denied nationality But MP Georges Dallemagne, who heads the parliament's naturalisation committee, said this was not sufficient motive alone to throw out Mr Arnault's request. "The Morgen is well and truly anticipating," he said. But the law on the matter provides that "in the absence of three years of residence we can grant citizenship if the applicant has 'real links' with Belgium," he added. A basketball star and prestigious pianist had just been granted nationality on those grounds, he said. Like Depardieu, Arnault's request in September for Belgian citizenship caused an uproar in France, while the boss of the world's largest luxury empire denied the move was aimed at avoiding a new wealth tax. The world's fourth-richest man, with a fortune estimated by Forbes magazine at $41 billion, denied the bid was prompted by French President Francois Hollande's move to impose a 75-percent tax on earnings of more than one million euros ($1.3 billion). Separately Alain Afflelou, one of France's richest men, announced he was moving to Britain. Mr Afflelou, who runs an international chain of opticians and has a personal fortune of £147 million, denied it was because of Mr Hollande's tax rate.