Michele Ferrero

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This article is about the Italian chocolate maker. For the priest, see Michele Ferrero (priest).
Michele Ferrero
Born(1925-04-26)26 April 1925
Dogliani, Piedmont, Italy
Died14 February 2015(2015-02-14) (aged 89)
Monte Carlo, Monaco
CitizenshipItalian
OccupationOwner of Ferrero SpA
Known forNutella, Mon Chéri, Kinder Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tacs, Kinder Eggs
SpouseMaria Franca Fissolo[1]
ChildrenPietro
Giovanni
Parent(s)Pietro Ferrero
Piera Cillario
Websitewww.ferrero.com

Michele Ferrero (Italian pronunciation: [miˈkɛːle ferˈrɛːro]; 26 April 1925 – 14 February 2015) was an Italian billionaire businessman. He owned the chocolate manufacturer Ferrero SpA, Europe's second-largest confectionery company (at the time of his death),[2] which he developed from the small bakery and café of his father in Alba, Piedmont. His first big success was adding vegetable oil to the traditional gianduja paste to make the popular spread Nutella.[3]

Early life[edit]

Michele Ferrero was born on 26 April 1925 in Dogliani,[4] the only child of Pietro Ferrero, who founded the Ferrero company, and his wife Piera Cillario.[1]

Career[edit]

Ferrero joined the firm in 1949.[5]

He was the richest person in Italy, with a personal wealth of $26bn[6] surpassing Silvio Berlusconi in March 2008. In May 2014, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index listed Ferrero as the 20th richest person in the world.[7]

Ferrero's brands include Nutella, Mon Chéri, Kinder Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tacs and Kinder Eggs.[8]

From 1997, his sons, Giovanni Ferrero and Pietro Ferrero, co-led the company.[9][10] After Pietro died on 18 April 2011, of a heart attack while cycling in South Africa, Giovanni became the sole CEO.[11]

Personal life[edit]

Ferrero married Maria Franca Fissolo in 1962, and they had two sons together, Giovanni Ferrero and Pietro Ferrero Jr.[1]

He was a fervent Catholic. Ferrero visited the Lourdes shrine annually, and had a Madonna placed in every factory and office.[5] Ferrero died on 14 February 2015, at his home in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He was 89.[12][13][14][8]

Distinctions[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "The Story of a Family". Ferrero.com.
  2. ^ Various (30 October 2015). Hachette Children's Yearbook& Infopedia 2016. Hachette India. p. 37. ISBN 978-93-5195-041-7.
  3. ^ "Sweet secrets", The Economist, p. 90, 21 February 2015
  4. ^ "Michele Ferrero compie 85 anni" [Michele Ferrero turns 85]. Il Sole 24 Ore (in Italian). 25 April 2010.
  5. ^ a b Hooper, John (28 October 2011). "Ferrero unwrapped: Italy's secretive confectioner opens its doors". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Michele Ferrero Forbes Profile". Forbes. March 9, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  7. ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index". Bloomberg LP. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  8. ^ a b "La mort du milliardaire Michele Ferrero, inventeur très discret du Nutella". Le Monde.
  9. ^ Ferrero SpA – Company History. FundingUniverse.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-03.
  10. ^ "#22: Michele Ferrero & family". Forbes. March 3, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  11. ^ "Italian chocolate boss Ferrero dies in S. Africa accident". 18 April 2011.
  12. ^ La Stampa
  13. ^ Rhodan, Maya (15 February 2015). "World's Richest Candy Maker and Nutella Founder Died on Valentine's Day". Time.
  14. ^ "Cattedrale gremita per la Messa in memoria di Michele Ferrero - Gazzetta d'Alba - Dal 1882 il settimanale di Alba, Langhe e Roero". Gazzettadalba.it. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  15. ^ a b "Michele Ferrero". LSA.
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