The richer families of Italy like Ferrero, Of the old, Lambs And Benetton they established themselves thanks to a strong family member in Italian capitalismnot only through effective corporate strategies, but also thanks to significant links with the political system and advantageous tax policies. In the Italian economy, as in other parts of the world, the accumulation of enormous wealth by individuals is not an isolated phenomenon, but the result of a complex intertwining of historical, cultural and regulatory factors that have favored formation and continuity of entrepreneurial families.
But who are the richest Italians? Al 2024this is the ranking of people who own the net assets higher (source Forbes, Bloomberg Billionaires Index):
| Position | Name | Net assets (billions of $) | Sector | Residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giovanni Ferrero | 39.1 | Food (Ferrero) | Luxembourg |
| 2 | Giorgio Armani | 12.9 | Fashion (Armani) | Milan |
| 3 | Piero Ferrari | 7.3 | Automobile (Ferrari) | Modena |
| 4 | Silvio Berlusconi (heirs) | 7.3 | Media, Finance (Mediaset, Fininvest) | Milan |
| 5 | Massimiliana Landini Aleotti & Family | 6.7 | Pharmaceutical (Menarini) | Florence |
| 6 | Giuseppe de ‘Longhi | 5.2 | Appliances (de ‘Longhi) | Treviso |
| 7 | Patrizio Bertelli & Miuccia Prada | 5.1 | Fashion (Prada) | Milan |
| 8 | Luca Garavoglia | 5.0 | Alcoholic beverages (Campari) | Milan |
| 9 | Remo Ruffini | 4.1 | Fashion (Moncler) | Milan |
| 10 | Augusto & Giorgio Perfetti | 4.0 | Food (perfect van melle) | Lainate |
The conditions that have favored the accumulation of wealth in Italian families
First of all, it must be considered that Italy is characterized by a capitalism with a strong imprint family With companies handed down from generation to generation: Ferrero, Del Vecchio, Agnelli, Benetton among all. This model guarantees stability, but often limits innovation and social mobility. In addition, our country is known for one tax policy Sometimes ambiguous towards super-riches. THE tax havenslike Monaco or the Cayman islands, play a crucial role in repairing wealth and avoiding taxation. In this context, tools such as i family trusts and the holding, In countries such as Luxembourg and Holland, they offer opportunities to optimize the tax burden, allowing billionaires to protect their wealth from any disadvantageous taxation. These tools can act as legal and tax shields for asset planning, thus making adequate tax intervention in Italy a theme of debate. Italian history is full of intertwining between politics and great capital: from privatizations of the 90s to recent industrial policies, the relationship between the state and great entrepreneurs has often favored the concentration of wealth. The interaction between the business world and that of politics has favored in some cases the establishment of a clientel capitalismleading to the creation of laws and regulations that protected the interests of some economic elites.
Among the legislative measures that somehow favored the development of particular companies can be counted: the Mammì law (1990, n. 218) which regulated the public and private radio and television system, allowing the concentration of private television networks, such as Mediaset; there Bersani law (1998) and the Liberalizations in the food and pharmaceutical sector which have allowed the exponential growth of large groups, such as Ferrero and Menarini, reducing barriers to the acquisition of competing companies and encouraging merger and consolidation operations; there Financial law 2002 (n. 448/2001) which introduced tax breaks for businesses, including the possibility of re -evaluating business assets.
The wealth that is handed down
From a social point of view, in Italy, rather than making luck, yes inheritance: The phenomenon of billionaires confirms that wealth tends to remain in the family, fueling economic inequalities. It is precisely in these circumstances that Pierre BourdieuFrench sociologist and anthropologist, talks about hereditary capitalaccording to which the economic elites transmit not only material wealth, but also Relationship networks, knowledge And institutional advantages to their descendants. This means that, in Italy, the social mobility It remains limited: those born in a rich family are more likely to remain rich, while the less wealthy classes struggle to access similar opportunities. Furthermore, even the absence of a significant succession tax, considering that currently the heritage greater than 5 million euros pay only the 4% in Italy, against the 40% of the USA, allows the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few families. This led to the creation of real industrial dynastieswhose fortunes are handed down without significant redistribution processes.
