Pietro Ferrero, 47, son of Italy's richest man, dies in cycling accident

[alexmst]

A spokesperson for Italian confectionery company Ferrero SpA confirmed today that their joint chief executive Pietro Ferrero has died in an accident in South Africa. The 47-year-old father of three was traveling for business when he reportedly fainted and fell from his bicycle during a routine ride.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini released a statement saying, "Italy has lost a businessman who represented the best qualities of our economic history."

Ferreo's father, 85-year-old father Michele is Italy's richest man, having taken over the company from his parents Piera and Pietro who founded the company in the 1940s.

Ferrero SpA produces Kinder products, Nutella (which was invented in the back of Piera and Pietro's bakery), Tic Tac breath mints and the eponymous Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/04/18/ferrero-ceo-dies-in-accident/?iref=NS1

 

[nottyboi]

I guess that whole "life's a box of chocolates ....." saying would apply here.

 

[GPIDEAL]

Sad news for a young man still. Another reminder that being rich doesn't mean that unfortunate things don't happen to you.

As an aside, I thought Berlusconi was richer but I suppose Ferrero SpA is a multinational.

 

[fun-guy]

Actually Berluconi is the third richest man in Italy now, behind Ferrero as first, and Leonardo Del Vecchio as seccond, the head of luxury goods maker Luxottica, a vertically integrated organization whose manufacturing of premium, luxury and sportswear prescription and sun frames is backed up by a wide-reaching wholesale distribution network.

 

[Nickelodeon]

I read another article where he may have died of a heart attack and then fell off his bike. I know, I know...he's still dead, but sometimes it's more insight, ie. dangers of heart disease vs. dangers of biking.

 

[afterhours]

I read another article where he may have died of a heart attack and then fell off his bike. I know, I know...he's still dead, but sometimes it's more insight, ie. dangers of heart disease vs. dangers of biking.

If I were rich I'd rather die from a heart attack at the back seat of a Range Rover while getting my dick sucked.

 

[Insidious Von]

I would still put the Agnelli family at the top of the Italian rich list - although their sporting flagships (Ferrari and Juventus) are presently not where they should be.http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/a/agnelli_family/index.html

 

[GPIDEAL]

If I were rich I'd rather die from a heart attack at the back seat of a Range Rover while getting my dick sucked.

In bed with two women, just like the great Peter O'Toole said.

 

[fun-guy]

I would still put the Agnelli family at the top of the Italian rich list - although their sporting flagships (Ferrari and Juventus) are presently not where they should be.http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/a/agnelli_family/index.html

The Agnelli family net worth is estimated today to be about $5 Billion, still way below the three names above as reported by Forbes, in fact the above three Italians are the only Italians in Forbes 100 richest men in the world: Ferrero at $17B, Del Velcchio at $10.5B and Berlusconi at $9B:

http://tjc007.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-10-richest-person-in-world-2010.html

Agnelli family are influential in Italian life and were once at the top of the list, but not today.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/finance-obituaries/1419964/Giovanni-Agnelli.html

Once you get into those nose bleed seats of net worth it doesn't matter what you're worth in monetary terms, it's more of what you do and contribute to the betterment of the world that makes you richer.

 

[W3bster]

Edit:
Don't know if this is thread hijacking, but a 2008 stat stated that median income was 19k, but half of Italian taxpayers (21M) made less than 15,000, 2/3 made less than 20,000. Only 418,000 made more than EUR100,000.

The average salary/income in Southern Italy is just shy of EUR14,000 last time I checked.
Of course, they probably have the same problems as Greece with tax avoidance and a strong black market/barter culture.