Eredi Del Vecchio: the affairs behind the scenes of the greatest fortune ever left in Italy between superyachts and palaces

Background from a heritage. Claudio Del Vecchio (68 years old), one of Leonardo’s six children, who passed away in June 2022, holds the share in Delfin (12.5%, approximately 7 billion in value) through the financial company Cdv Holdings. But CDV is “administrated” by Delfin itself, owner of a one-dollar golden share.

Greece and the yacht

The sister Paola has recently moved his residence to a picturesque town in the Peloponnese, invests in real estate and – according to reliable sources – has recently purchased a superyacht of Baglietto worth tens of millions.

Tra Hollywood e Smaila

Another heir, Luca (24)he went into business with Umberto Smaila’s son. Matteo Del Vecchioson of Claudio and nephew of the founder of Luxottica, has his own hedge fund in the Virgin Islands. Rocco Basilico (36)resident in the Hollywood Hills, created his financial company in the Grand Duchy at the beginning of 2025. Leonardo’s first wife, Luciana Nervo, who is not among the heirs, has a substantial wealth of securities parked in Luxembourg.

The trustee (behind the scenes)

From this summary it is clear that there is (comfortable) life even without Delfin, the safe with a value of around 55 billion (divided by eight), managed by Francesco Milleri and Romolo Bardin, which always remains the center of gravity (and conflict) of Leonardo Del Vecchio’s successors. Meaning what the six children plus his last wife Nicoletta Zampillo (67) and the latter’s son, Rocco Basilicoborn in her previous marriage to the banker Paolo Basilico: eight, including heirs and legatees, of the largest fortune ever left in Italy. All members of the richest and most influential financial holding company on the Peninsula (it controls Essilux, Covivio, has significant shares in Mps, Generali, Unicredit), with a assets almost 20 billion higher than that of the Elkann-Agnellis’ Exor.
In the “behind the scenes” of some personal portfolios the figure of a Luxembourg trustee emerges, Andrea Carniello (43), originally from Feltre (Belluno).

The estate of the first wife

It is he who manages, for example, Lunem, a foreign financial company attributable to Luciana Nervo (born 1938), first wife of Leonardo (1935) and very young mother (between 19 and 23 years old) of Claudio (68), Marisa (67) and Paola (64). Lunem is a container of properties for around 6 million, mostly apartments rented in Luxembourg, but above all financial assets for 117 million. And most of them are Essilux shares. Historically, Ms. Nervo has always had a substantial Luxottica package. His holding, like that of his daughter Paola, relies on Unicredit which last March renewed a credit line of approximately 12 million until 2026.

Claudio and the golden action

With Claudio you enter Delfin, the sancta sanctorum of the family. His share of the inheritance (12.5% ​​of Delfin) is registered in the name of Cdv Holdings, incorporated in Delaware, with offices in New York, transferred to Luxembourg and “normalized” in August 2023. Here, in fact, for the first time, the contractualized effects of that “cage” of constraints and statutory rules that the founder of the group has studied to keep the structure of the safe as stable and waterproof as possible. From the labyrinth of the CDV statute, approved in August 2023, emerges the power of a glittering “golden” action, the only one that does not belong to Claudio: it is a golden share worth one dollar subscribed by Delfin. Meaning what Delfin is a shareholder of Cdv. And that action is enough to exercise the power of veto on any securities trading. Cdv is technically transferable but with very strict limits and exclusively to subjects compatible with whoever controls Delfin. Therefore, despite having 99.99% of its Cdv, Claudio is structurally dependent on Delfin, so much so that on the board of directors, in addition to the usual Carniello, he is supported by Romulus Bardin, managing director of the heirs’ safe. In the 2024 budget, approved last October 28, Cdv records a loss of 12 million and has assets of 2 billion which is almost entirely the Delfin share. A financial debt of 1.3 billion emerges, expiring in May 2043, with over 30 million in interest to be paid and no indication of the creditor, which could be Delfin itself.

The 160 million building in New York

In the meantime, Leonardo’s eldest son, resident in Agordo (Belluno), signed a contract with his US real estate companies in September to sell an office building (formerly Brooks Brothers) to the SL Green real estate fund) al 346 di Madison Avenue a New York: Set to gross $160 million. Claudio lived for a long time in the USA where he led the expansion of Luxottica and then (2001) took over Brooks Brothers, the oldest American clothing retailer, which entered into crisis in 2020, started insolvency proceedings (chapter 11) and was sold.
For the family businesses Claudio had created a myriad of financial companies and trusts. His son Matteo, who has solid financial and managerial expertise and is top manager of Essilux, manages, among other things, a “private” hedge fund Virgin Islands with assets of 46 million, it is called Lume Capital.

Sisters and real estate

Marisa lives Roma has no active corporate sides while its sister Paola, who now has residence in Pilesin one of the most exclusive views of the Greek coast of the Peloponnese, is headed by a small group of Luxembourg finance companies, custodians of real estate properties in the Grand Duchy and financial assets for over 60 million, including a 4 million euro house in the Dominican Republic.
It always remains the Luxembourg the center of gravity of the personal affairs of much of the family.

Lufin son of Smail

Here Luca Del Vecchio, resident of London in a quiet street not far from Harrods and Hyde Park, he set up his Lufin holding company last year. And he entered the management of the company Roy Smaila (26)son of the very popular showman, as well as the usual Carniello. What the two young scions want to do together is not yet clear, the corporate purpose is that of a 360-degree holding company, but something is moving: a month ago the capital was increased from 200 thousand to 700 thousand euros. Luca provides the money, Roy manages it. However, it has no corporate appendages Clemente (21 years old), Luca’s brother: both are children of Leonardo and Sabina Grossi.

The Zampillo «branch» and the superyacht

The Zampillo “branch” remains, the founder’s last wife (remarried in 2010). Of the son Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio (30) everything is known, including the latest moves that saw him debut in publishing with the purchase of 30% of Il Giornale. He invests through his family office Lmdv Capital whose holdings are worth around one billion.
Rocco Basilico at the beginning of 2025 he also established a Luxembourg holding company, Rbh, which for now is an empty box. Among other things, he is the owner of a 7 million villa in Malibu and has a residence an hour’s drive away in another more “modest” villa (3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4-5 million value) in the Hollywood Hills
In the November meetings, Rocco had asked the Delfin assembly to be able to transfer a portion of his shares to the Rbh holding but the request did not receive a unanimous vote from the other shareholders, a necessary condition established by the Delfin statute for any extraordinary operation. Rocco later resigned as chief wearables officer of Essilux and president of eyewear brand Oliver Peoples. For 16 years he helped develop the group’s smart glasses sector until the partnership with Meta. Nicoletta Zampillo, according to rumors, recently purchased a 52-meter Baglietto superyacht which she called Moneikos. It is the same name as Leonardo Del Vecchio’s historic boat, sold by his eight heirs a year ago.

December 30, 2025 (changed December 30, 2025 | 07:31)

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