< Back to all clusters
[BUSINESS] · Italy · 4 sources

started · updated

EssilorLuxottica family inheritance dispute threatens €46bn empire

Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder of EssilorLuxottica, died in 2022 leaving an estate valued at more than €46 billion. His will split the family holding Delfin Sarl into equal 12.5 % stakes for six children, his widow Nicoletta Zampillo and step‑son Rocco Basilico, giving no single heir decisive control. Major decisions in Delfin require near‑unanimous consent, creating a governance deadlock.

Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, one of the heirs, proposed a €10 billion buy‑out of his siblings’ shares to raise his holding to 37.5 %. The plan was initially approved by the family but stalled because financing could not be secured. The dispute has coincided with a sharp fall in EssilorLuxottica’s share price—below 49 % of its November peak—causing a loss of about €23.4 billion in the family’s main asset. Leonardo Maria is now negotiating with Apollo Global Management to refinance roughly €1.1 billion of debt, and the family is weighing a split of Delfin’s eyewear business from its banking and insurance investments.

Entities

Delfin Sarl · EssilorLuxottica · Francesco Milleri · Leonardo Del Vecchio · Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio · Nicoletta Zampillo · Romolo Bardin

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.