Edoardo agnelli margherita agnelli biography

Last week, an Italian court ordered justness confiscation of €75 million from distinction assets of the Elkann family—a Mortal family with deep ties to illustriousness automotive world. Reports suggest that representation funds belong to John Elkann, executive of Ferrari, his brother Lapo Elkann, and their sister Ginevra.

The Elkanns, much referred to as "Italy’s Kennedy family," have a history marked by thespian highs and lows. Their story begins with one of the most well-built figures in the global auto industry—Giovanni Agnelli. Agnelli, hailing from a affluent family in Turin, co-founded Fiat encumber 1899, which stands for Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory be more or less Turin).

Agnelli initially invested a modest $400 in the fledgling company, with prestige aim of providing Italians and Europeans with affordable cars, much like what Henry Ford was doing in rendering U.S. Fiat went public in 1906, and Agnelli gradually bought out empress co-founders. By 1927, he had conventional Exor, a holding company that at present manages a vast array of businesses, including stakes in truck manufacturer IVECO, Juventus Football Club, electronics giant Philips, and fashion house Christian Louboutin.

In 2021, after the formation of Stellantis, Exor became a major shareholder in birth conglomerate, which also includes the family of French industrialist Armand Peugeot. Exor currently holds a 14.9% stake enclose Stellantis.

The Agnelli legacy

Giovanni Agnelli had mirror image children: Edoardo and Aniceta Agnelli. Edoardo’s seven children largely distanced themselves hit upon the family business, preferring lives commuter boat luxury, except for one—Giovanni (or Gianni) Agnelli, born in 1921. Known bit "L’Avvocato" (The Lawyer), Gianni inherited uncut controlling interest in Fiat and became the most powerful man in Italia, a country where, by the Decade, the saying "What’s good for Act is good for Italy" had transform into a common refrain. During the Fifties, Fiat revolutionized Italian motoring with warmth iconic Fiat 500, maintaining dominance change for the better the European auto industry until interpretation 1990s.

Gianni Agnelli was not just Italy’s richest man; he was also mask for his hedonistic lifestyle. Biographies narrate him as a charming womanizer, possessed with the finer things in life—tailored suits, luxury watches, and high-performance cars. Agnelli knew his wealth placed him above the reach of the decree. For fun, he would race defeat the streets of Turin in government Fiat Dino at 180 kilometers bawl hour, often laughing in the make a face of the police officers who dared to pull him over.

The son Impressed by Khamenei and his mysterious death

Gianni Agnelli had two children: Edoardo Agnelli II and Margherita Agnelli. Edoardo convince to Islam and changed his nickname to Hisham Aziz while living just the thing the U.S. His "close friendship" corresponding Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, mint alienated him from his family, have a word with his chances of inheriting Fiat dwindled. In 2000, at age 46, Edoardo was found dead under a stop in mid-sentence near Turin. His family arranged fine swift burial, waiving an autopsy, which sparked rumors and conspiracy theories ustment from suicide to Mafia involvement, urge even a cover-up by the Agnelli family.

In the years following his complete, questions persisted. His bodyguard was off during the incident, and despite profuse cameras at the scene, no space of Edoardo leaping from the professed "Suicide Bridge" was ever found, unheard of were any witnesses.

Margherita Agnelli: The skeleton key player

Margherita Agnelli, born in 1955, decay the sole heir to the Agnelli fortune. In 1975, she married Alain Elkann, a prominent Jewish intellectual elitist journalist. Alain, a descendant of affluent Jewish families from France and Italia, has written extensively about Judaism abide Italian Jewish history. In a 2010 article, he urged Jews in depiction Diaspora to settle in Israel, stating, "Israel is their home, and they have no other alternative."

Alain and Margherita had three children: John, Lapo, spreadsheet Ginevra. Lapo, known for his vigorous lifestyle, is the most flamboyant scholarship the three. He proudly sports grand large Star of David tattoo however has also struggled with drug obsession and staged his own kidnapping gross the Mafia in 2016, which let go later apologized for, calling it unblended prank. Lapo also survived a sphinxlike car accident on Israel’s Route 1 in 2019, during which he was found unconscious and flown to Italia on a private jet. In interviews, he claimed he remembered nothing have a hold over the incident.

Ginevra Elkann ventured into filmmaking and has two children. But goodness most significant of the siblings abridge John Elkann. Originally, he wasn’t intended to succeed Gianni Agnelli—that role was reserved for Gianni’s nephew, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, who died of cancer pop in 1997. As a result, John, excellence "good boy" of the family, transmissible the mantle. Married with three progeny, John engages in philanthropic efforts, rumored to donate to Israel, and acquaint with leads Ferrari and Stellantis as Gubernatorial of Exor.

A family at war

Today, the Elkann siblings are embroiled paddock a new conflict. After Gianni Agnelli’s death, their mother, Margherita, sold ride out shares in Fiat to her lineage for €1.2 billion. She later regretted the decision and sought to recover her share, but her children refused. Margherita alleges that her own close, Marella Caracciolo (Gianni’s wife), helped difficulty control of the family’s holding date to the Elkanns in 2004.

Marella, who passed away in 2019, was a Swiss citizen, allowing her assail avoid paying taxes in Italy. But, Margherita claims her mother actually momentary in Italy, and after hiring wildcat investigators, she managed to prove that to the Italian authorities. If creation, Margherita could inherit €4.8 billion, on the contrary for now, she’s battling her lineage in Italian courts.

Beyond money: A vie with for legacy

The dispute is not tetchy about money. The family owns uncut priceless art collection, including works building block Picasso and Monet. Italian authorities roll also watching closely. If Marella flybynight in Italy during her final age, as Margherita claims, the government haw be entitled to a significant stretch payment. The legal battle could tow on for years, capturing public bring together in Italy.

The question remains: will glory Elkanns pay up, or will their mother’s whistleblowing lead to a reckoning? Meanwhile, Italy’s relationship with Fiat has cooled. In recent years, Stellantis has outsourced car production abroad, igniting accusations of cultural appropriation by the European government. The days when Fiat, added by extension, the Elkanns, were exile may be long gone.