Carlo De Benedetti is one of the most famous Italian entrepreneurs. He owns several businesses, and one of the most recent ones is the “Domani” newspaper, which was launched in 2024. He was a chairman of Olivetti, a company that manufactures business electronic devices, and the CEO of Fiat. As you can assume, he owns multiple properties as well as a solo yacht. In this article, we will introduce you to Carlo De Benedetti and tell you about his career in the business world.
Biography
De Benedetti was born in 1934 in Turin. During World War II, his family moved to Switzerland. After the war, Carlo returned to Italy and studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin. Upon obtaining the degree, he started working for the family company called “Compagnia Italiana Tubi Metallici Flessibili” in 1959. This manufacturing company was founded in 1921 and changed its name to “Flexider” upon Carlo acquiring the “Giladini” group. He was the company’s CEO until 1976 when he sold it to FIAT. During the same year, he was the CEO of FIAT, as already mentioned.
The following year, 1976, De Benedetti obtained the CIR group. The CIR controls a publishing company GEDI that owns several Italian newspapers and magazines (“La Repubblica,” “La Stampa,” “L’Espresso”) as well as three radio stations (m2o, Radio Deejay, and Radio Capital). A few years later, in 1978, he became the CEO of Olivetti until he resigned from the position in 1998.
During the 1980s, he founded the European Round Tabe of Industrialists (ERT). The main goal of this group is to boost competitiveness in Europe by reorganizing and modernizing the industrial bases. At that time, they believed that the industry was suffering from eurosclerosis, that is, the absence of competitiveness and innovation. Carlo was the Vice Chairman of the organization until 2004.
In 1997, he merged “La Repubblica” and “La Stampa” groups, thus launching the “Gruppo Editorial l’Espresso”. According to a 2019 report, De Benedetti’s CIR Group owns 43% of shares. In 2009, Carlo De Benedetti announced that he was retiring and that his eldest son, Rodolfo De Benedetti, was taking over all the executing positions, except for the Chairman of the Espresso Group, which Carlo would keep.
What’s more, the CIR Group also owns Sogefi S.p.A. The company includes three segments – Filtration, Suspension, and Air&Cooling. Some of the products they manufacture are charged air ducts, thermostat housings and ducts, oil filtration systems, petrol, and diesel fuel filtration systems, as well as suspension components used in cars and machinery vehicles.
There is also a health care company called KOS, which was founded in 2002 in Italy by the CIR Group. In 2019, they expanded to Germany. They have over 140 facilities in these two countries with 12,500 beds and more than 11,000 employees. They own 2 hospitals, 16 rehabilitation centers, 53 nursing homes, 7 mental health clinics, and 13 mental health facilities. According to their reports, the company’s revenue in 2024 was over $631 million. KOS operates through Charlston group in Germany and Anni Azzuri, Santo Stefano, Neomesia, and Ospedale Di Suzzara in Italy.
Private life
Carlo has three sons from his first marriage to Mita Crosetti, Rodolfo, Marco, and Eduardo. In 1997, he married an Italian actress, Silvia Monti. In 2009, he became a naturalized Swiss citizen. Even though he said he applied for citizenship due to emotional reasons (since his family fled to Switzerland after WWII), many media outlets accused him of doing this for financial reasons. In 2010, he moved his residence to Dogliani, but as of 2015, he resides in St Moritz, Switzerland.
Properties
Even though the public is not familiar with all the properties Carlo owns, it is known that he lives in one of the most expensive residential areas in the world, St Moritz in Switzerland. He owns a large chalet where he resides with his wife, Silvia Monti.
Furthermore, Carlo is also an owner of the $70 SOLO Yacht. It was built in 2018 by an Italian company, Tankao. He bought the yacht in 2024 from Guido Orsi, the owner of the Tankao Yachts. The vessel was designed by Francesco Paszkowski Design and Margherita Casprini, and it includes six cabins that can accommodate up to 12 guests, as well additional accommodation for 18 crew members. It also has a private terrace for the master suite, sauna, spa, gym, and beauty salon. There is also a sky lounge and aquarium, an infinity pool, and a helipad that can be converted into a dance floor if necessary. Naturally, there are many more features, and if you are interested in learning about them, click here.
Honors
Since the early 1980s, Carlo De Benedetti has received serval honors. In 1983, he received the national order of chivalry and was awarded the title of Knight of the Order Merit for Labour. In 1987 he received three honors. The first one is the gold Medal of Merit for Culture and Art, which is conferred by the president of Italy on the country’s National Day that is marked on June 2nd. The second one is the Officer of the Legion of Honor. In the same year, he also became a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Finally, in 2006, he received an award of the Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria.
Net worth
Upon reading about Carlo De Beneditti’s life and work, you are probably wondering what his net worth is. According to the most recent reports, his current net worth is $1 billion.
