Leonardo Del Vecchio (22 May 1935 – 27 June 2022) was an Italian billionaire businessman, the founder and chairman of Luxottica,[1] the world's largest producer and retailer of glasses and frames,[2] with 77,734 employees and over 8,000 stores.
[3] At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$24.1 billion, the second richest person in Italy, and 54th in the world.
[6][2] He began his career as an apprentice to a tool and die maker in Milan, but decided to turn his metalworking skills to make spectacle parts.
[13] Del Vecchio died from pneumonia at San Raffaele Hospital in Segrate, an eastern suburb of Milan on 27 June 2022 at the age of 87.
"EssilorLuxottica sadly announces today that its chairman has passed away," the group said in a statement, adding that the board would meet to "determine the next steps".