Article author:
Associated Press
Frances D'emilio
ROME (AP) — Leonardo Del Ve, who founded the Eyeglasses Empire Luxottica on a trailer and turned everyday things into global fashion items. Vecchio, who became one of Italy's wealthiest men in the process and died on Monday, said the Associated Press. He was 87 years old.
"Essilor Luxottica announced the death of Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio in deep sorrow," the company's statement said, the name was tied between Luxottica and a French-based lens maker a few years ago. It reflects the transaction. Eschiller.
According to the statement, EssilorLuxottica's board of directors will meet to "decide the next step."
Lucazaia, Governor of Veneto, in the northeastern region of Delvecchio's business in the valley town of the Alps in 1961, described Delvecchio as "the most successful entrepreneur in the world." I praised him as one.
According to Italian media, Delvecchio died in a hospital in Milan, where he was hospitalized a few weeks ago. The cause of death is not quoted.
From the start at the orphanage in Milan, Delvecchio has become one of the wealthiest businessmen in Italy. Luxottica makes dozens of great fashion name frames such as Armani, Burberry and Chanel by globalizing fashion eyeglasses.
On the list of Forbes' wealthiest people, Delvecchio and his family were ranked 60th last year with $ 24.5 billion in wealth.
Delvecchio's father sold vegetables on the streets of Milan, but died before he was born. He was the youngest of four children, and when he was in his twenties, he worked as an apprentice in making eyeglass frame parts and then started his own business. He moved from Milan to the village of the Dolomites in Agordo in 1961. He used the free land offer to provide jobs and discouraged young people from flocking to the city for work.
The company, housed in a trailer, has grown into a vast complex 90 minutes by car from Venice, hiring thousands of people every day and producing tens of thousands of frames. Was there.
Del Vecchio found gold by turning everyday necessities into "designer frames" for prescription glasses and sunglasses. Luxottica's corporate website lists 33 top brands, including Valentino, Prada, Michael Kors, Coach and Brooks Brothers.
Two moves when he expanded his business were widely considered important. In one strategy, he invested in the retail sector and opened the Luxottica store. Another strategy led to the acquisition. In particular, he acquired Ray-Ban in the United States in 1999. The brand earned cash under the company's marketing approach.
Delvecchio's empire expanded in 2018 with a contract with Essilor of France. The agreement created a large organization with more than 140,000 employees in 150 countries.
However, Delvecchio took care to maintain the holding company Delvecchio, the financial instrument of his family. In the latest configuration, Delvecchio held 25% of his capital. Banking and insurance companies also have significant interests under Delfin's umbrella.
Unlike some of the flashy entrepreneurs of Italy, such as the television tycoon Silvio Berlusconi and Fiat's Gianni Agnelli, Del Vecchio has Italian media "Mr." No one. "
Coliere de la Serra daily describes his early leaders in the industry: "They left me some important lessons: discipline, methods, abilities."
Del Vecchio preached simplicity. "For years, my lunch was based on boiled cabbage. The smell reminds me of a great deal of effort. It was a dream that I had to do something of my own, even small things. But he was able to harness his ideas and abilities. Milan quoted his words every day.
He shook the territory of Italian business and political power in the early 1990s. Unaffected by the corruption scandal.
"I don't like paying taxes, but I like sleeping at night," Delvecchio said at headquarters in 1995. I told AP News in an interview.
Economist Mario Draghi, who headed the European Central Bank, announced a compliment from Germany at the G-7 Summit.
"For over 60 years, the protagonist of Italian entrepreneurship, Delvecchio, started from a humble origin and founded one of the country's largest companies," Draghi wrote in writing. Said. The Italian Prime Minister said the businessman "brought the Agordo community and the whole country to the center of the world of innovation."
Delvecchio married three times, two of which married his second wife, Nicoletta Zampillo. He had six children. Two daughters from the first marriage of his sons Claudio and Luciana Nervo. His son, Leonardo Maria, is from his marriage to Zampillo. According to the La Repubblica newspaper, two sons, Luka and Clemente, and Sabina Grossi, a former investor in the group.