Macron’s eye injury in Switzerland is affecting markets. The French President wore mirrored aviator sunglasses to the World Economic Forum annual meeting, which reminded people of top gun The pilot movie franchise amused President Donald Trump and social media and thrust an obscure Italian eyewear stock into the spotlight, increasing its value by nearly 30% in a matter of days. The surge underscores the impact of a viral political image that extends far beyond social media, reshaping the fortunes of a small-cap company almost overnight.
Macron appeared in Davos this week, wearing reflective aviator sunglasses, as he delivered a high-profile speech to global political and business leaders in the Swiss resort town. The look is eerily reminiscent of Tom Cruise’s fighter pilot character in the 1986 film top gunquickly dominated reports and comments about his appearance. Clips and photos of the French president wearing mirrored glasses went viral online. X, InstagramMemes and side-by-side comparisons on Facebook, TikTok and news sites have cast him as a swaggering pilot rather than a tight-lipped technocrat.
When giving a speech on stage, Trump even joked in his Former handshake rivalsNew Look: “Yesterday I looked at him with his nice sunglasses on. I said, ‘What the hell is going on?'” Trump later went on a tangent about Macron’s stance on drug pricing policy, before adding, “I actually like him. I do.”
shadow is Confirmed to be Pacific S 01 model French luxury brand production henry julian, Part of the Italian Optical Group Vision Technology. Priced at approximately €659 (approximately $770 to $775), this model is produced in small batches and marketed as a high-end French-made frame with a gold-tone bimetallic construction.
Italian stocks behind the frame
Although the sunglasses were designed and manufactured in France, their viral fame has had their biggest impact in Italy, where iVision Tech is listed on the Milan market under the ticker IVN. The relatively lightly traded microcap stock has seen its share of iVision Tech shares rise nearly 30% Ever since these photo frames appeared on stage with Macron. This increased iVision Tech’s market capitalization by approximately 3.5 to 4.1 million euros (approximately $4 million).
The rally was so severe that trading in iVision Tech stock was halted multiple times due to volatility, with the stock briefly recovering before being halted again as buying poured in. Analysts described this as a textbook example of how sudden global exposure can turn niche industrial players into momentum trades for short-term investors.
What does the company and Macron’s camp say?
Stepheno Fulchir and Henry Jullien, President and CEO of IVision Tech, tell euronews This was actually the first time they had seen Macron wearing glasses. He explained that Macron first received the sunglasses as a gift in 2024, and his office conducted a full hour-long interview to ensure that the glasses were actually made in France.
Macron said he wore reflective glasses in part to hide a minor eye problem after he was photographed with a visibly bloodshot right eye. He described the problem as benign blood vessel rupture, and French media quoted him as saying Apologizing for the “sunglasses” while insisting he needs to wear them for a while for health reasons.
‘Top Gun’ and the memetic effect
On social networks, users have taken note of Macron’s cinematic look and have repeatedly mentioned it top gun and joked that the French leader seemed ready to enter the cockpit rather than the conference room. Critics believe the sunglasses send a tough message to Washington and add an edge to his broader geopolitical positioning, casting him as a more rebellious and confrontational figure.
Financial commentators, meanwhile, pointed to the incident as another case study in how “memetic economics” can collide with traditional markets. Even if underlying business fundamentals remain unchanged, a single, viral visual image – in this case a head of state dressed in high-end aviators – can be enough to send Italian small stocks soaring.
For this story, wealth Journalists use generative AI as a research tool. Editors verified information for accuracy before publishing.