Jimu News reporter Sun Zhe
According to CNN reports, Italian eyewear giant Luxottica (Luxottica) issued a statement on the 27th saying that the founder and chairman of the group Leonardo del Viggiopassed away on the same day. , died at the age of 87.
Luxottica is a multinational group company specializing in the manufacturing and sales of glasses. It is headquartered in Milan, Italy, and has multiple production plants in Turin, Venice and other regions. It not only has one of the world's largest eyewear retail networks, but also produces and sells many top international brands such as Bulgari, Prada and Chanel.
The Associated Press quoted Italian media reports saying that Viggio died in a hospital in Milan , but did not disclose the cause of his death.
Leonardo Del Viggio data map (Source: Associated Press)
All walks of life in Europe immediately mourned this "legendary Italian business figure". Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala posted on social platforms that "Milan has lost one of the most iconic figures in its modern history"; Luca Zaya, president of the Veneto region in Italy, said that Viggio O is "one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world."
Viggio is undoubtedly a legend. He grew up in an orphanage, started from scratch, and eventually grew into the head of the world's largest eyewear empire. Last year, he and his family ranked 60th on the 2020 Forbes Global Billionaires list with a wealth of US$24.5 billion, and they are also one of the richest businessmen in Italy.
Viggio was born in Milan in 1935, the youngest of four children. His father supported the family by selling vegetables on the street. His father unfortunately passed away when he was 5 months old, and his mother was unable to raise him after she became a widow. A few years later, the 7-year-old Viggio had to be sent to a local orphanage.
When he was a teenager, Viggio began to work in various factories in order to make a living. He worked as a cutting technician and dyer, and later worked as an apprentice in a factory in Milan that produced auto parts molds. Due to careless operation, Viggio While working in a factory, I suffered a serious hand injury.
After working as an apprentice in a mold factory for a period of time, Viggio decided to use the metal processing skills he learned to make eyewear parts. In 1961, he moved to the province of Belluno in the Veneto region of Italy, where most of Italy's eyewear manufacturers are gathered, which has a strong business agglomeration effect. Viggio started his career in Agordo, in the province of Belluno.
Leonardo Dell Vigio data map (Source: Associated Press)
With continuous efforts, Vigio's company is developing better and better, and its scale is getting larger and larger. The media generally believes that there are two key steps on Viggio’s road to the glasses business empire. One is that he acquired LensCrafters, the largest glasses chain brand in North America, and became the first glasses manufacturer to enter the retail industry; and the other was the acquisition of the well-known American brand Ray-Ban in 1999.
In 2018, Luxottica, the world's No. 1 glasses manufacturer, and France's Essilor Group, No. 2 in the world, reached a 45 billion euro merger deal, and the world's largest glasses manufacturer was born.
In life, Viggio is very low-key and advocates simplicity. He was married three times and had six children. He once said in an interview with a media in Milan, "For many years, I have eaten a piece of boiled cabbage for lunch. Its smell reminds me of the hard work and efforts I put in for my dreams. On the road of struggle, even if It’s an inconspicuous little thing, but it can also put my ideas into practice.”
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