Farewell to Leonardo DelVecchio founder of Luxottica and president of EssilorLuxottica. The 87-year-old entrepreneur died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. Second richest man in Italy according to the Forbes ranking, since 1986 he was Knight of Labor. EssilorLuxottica announced with deep sorrow the death of President Del Vecchio. The company expressed its deepest condolences to the family for the enormous loss and to the entire community of employees around the world.
Leonardo del Vecchio, king of entrepreneurship
Among the leading exponents of Italian entrepreneurship, Del Vecchio was not one by birthright. Far from it! In a country where family capitalism is still deeply rooted, Del Vecchio asserts himself with the makings of self made man of Anglo-Saxon style. The founder of Luxottica was born in Milan on May 22, 1935 from a family of Apulian origin. Orphaned of his father, still very young, his mother closes him in boarding school where he remains until he graduates secondary school.
At the age of 15 he went to work as an apprentice at the Johnson, a manufacturer of medals and cups. The owners of the factory push him to enroll in evening classes at theBrera Academy to study design and engraving. Del Vecchio leaves the factory where he learned the trade and discovered his passion for creativity. He opens a small shop in Agordo, in the province of Belluno. Within just three years, the shop became Luxottica, a manufacturer of semi-finished products for other manufacturers who then assemble the finished glasses. At the beginning there are only 14 employees but soon it has an excellent reputation.
The merger with Exilor
This, up to the merger with the French Exilor which brings the vertically integrated group to the top of the sector. A success that is always growing and on a global level. So much so that Del Vecchio is 80 years old and gives 40 thousand shares, with a total value of about 9 million euros, to the 8 thousand Italian employees of the group. Already in 2011, for Luxottica's 50th anniversary, employees were assigned free shares for a total value of 7 million euros. Also shareholder of Mediobanca, Generali and Covivio, its wealth through the family holding Dolphin this year it was rated by the magazine Forbes in about 25 billion euros.
