Rank #1731
Maria Franca Fissolo
Net worth $2.4B
Nutella, chocolates · Italy
- Born
- Jan 01, 1935
- Age
- 91
- Source
- Nutella, chocolates
- Residence
- Monaco
- Citizenship
- Italy
- Marital status
- Widowed
- Children
- 2
- Education
Net worth over time
Biography
- Maria Franca Fissolo is the widow of Michele Ferrero, who built Ferrero Group into one of the world's leading sweets companies.
- The firm is best known for its iconic Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread, Kinder chocolates and Tic Tac mints.
- Michele Ferrero died in February 2015, leaving the majority of the business to his and Maria's son Giovanni, who now chairs the company.
- Giovanni and his brother, Pietro, had previously served as co-chief executives, until Pietro died in a biking accident in 2011.
- Giovanni stepped down as CEO in 2017. Maria, who lives in Monaco, is not actively involved in the business.
- Prior to their marriage, Maria worked as Michele Ferrero's secretary.
- Ferrero was founded in 1946 by Maria's father-in-law, Pietro. He started out selling a chocolate alternative, since the real stuff was too costly in war-torn Italy.