Michele Ferrero

Lore & Background

Michele Ferrero was born on 26 April 1925 in Dogliani, the only child of Pietro Ferrero, founder of the Ferrero company, and Piera Cillario. He joined the firm in 1949. His first big success came from working with Francesco Rivella to add vegetable oil to traditional gianduja paste, creating the popular spread Nutella.

Ferrero married Maria Franca Fissolo in 1962, and they had two sons, Giovanni Ferrero and Pietro Ferrero Jr. From 1997, his sons co-led the company; after Pietro died in April 2011, Giovanni became sole CEO. Ferrero was a devout Catholic who visited the Lourdes shrine annually and placed a Madonna in every factory and office. He died on 14 February 2015 aged 89 at his home in Monte Carlo after a long illness.

Reader's Guide

Michele Ferrero's significance lies in his transformation of a small family bakery into a global confectionery powerhouse. By developing Nutella with Francesco Rivella, he created a product that became a household staple worldwide. His company's portfolio—including Nutella, Kinder Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tacs, and Kinder Eggs—made Ferrero SpA Europe's second-largest confectionery company by the time of his death. Ferrero's personal wealth reached $26 billion, making him the richest person in Italy in March 2008, surpassing Silvio Berlusconi, and the 20th richest in the world by May 2014. His legacy includes a business model that combined innovation with family leadership, passing control to his sons. His devout Catholicism influenced his corporate culture, as seen in his annual pilgrimages to Lourdes and placement of Madonnas in workplaces. Ferrero's impact endures through the continued global success of his brands.

Did You Know?

• Michele Ferrero was the richest person in Italy in March 2008, with a personal wealth of $26 billion.
• He developed Nutella by adding vegetable oil to traditional gianduja paste with Francesco Rivella.
• His sons Pietro Ferrero Jr. and Giovanni Ferrero co-led the company from 1997.

Roots in the Piedmontese Hills

Pietro Ferrero entered the world on 2 September 1898 in Farigliano, a small municipality nestled in the Piedmontese Langhe region. As the eldest son of Michele Ferrero and Clara Devalle, he grew up in a household where diligence and relentless effort were the defining values passed down through generations. A younger brother, Giovanni, shared the family's path and would later play a vital role in the business. In 1924, Pietro wed Piera Cillario, and the couple first settled in Alba before eventually making their home in Turin. Their only child, Michele, was born on 26 April 1925 in the nearby town of Dogliani. These early decades spent among the hills and cities of Piedmont shaped a man whose identity was inseparable from the local land, its people, and its agricultural bounty—qualities that would later prove central to the invention that made his name synonymous with Italian confectionery.

From a Failed Shop to a Revolutionary Paste

In 1940, Pietro opened a large pastry shop on via Sant'Anselmo in Turin, but the venture did not succeed, prompting his return to Alba where he established a new shop. The turning point came in 1942, when he set up a laboratory on via Rattazzi dedicated to crafting innovative yet inexpensive sweets. World War II had made raw materials scarce, and the hazelnuts abundant in the local Langhe became a practical necessity rather than a luxury. Watching workers in Turin struggle with empty plates, Pietro conceived a substantial, affordable chocolate-and-hazelnut paste that could stand in for bread and tomatoes. He and his wife Piera labored for four years perfecting the recipe. In 1946, the product finally reached the market, first called Pasta Gianduja and then renamed Giandujot, a phonetic nod to the beloved Piedmontese carnival mask. Though Pietro had not originally targeted children, they quickly became among the product's most enthusiastic consumers.

Building the Company Through Scarcity and Flood

By February 1946, demand for the hazelnut cream had outgrown what artisanal methods could supply, forcing Pietro and Piera to formalize their operation. Together they founded the company Ferrero, and in May of that year the enterprise was officially registered with the Chamber of Commerce. The first factory rose on land in Alba's via Vivaro, the same site where the family foundation stands today. Pietro brought his brother Giovanni aboard, entrusting him with organizing sales and building a direct distribution network linking the factory straight to buyers. Around this same period, twenty-year-old Michele began assisting his father in the workshop. The young business also attracted eager workers, drawn by the scarcity of employment opportunities in the region. Yet even this momentum was tested: in September 1948, a devastating flood of the Tanaro river isolated the Alba factory. Remarkably, by the end of that month, production had resumed as if nothing had happened.

A Life Cut Short, a Legacy That Endured

Pietro Ferrero's life ended abruptly on 2 March 1949, likely from a heart attack, after a period of relentless personal involvement in the company's distribution. He was known to drive his small Topolino car through the streets of Piedmont, personally delivering products and managing logistics with an energy that left him exhausted. In the aftermath, his wife Piera and brother Giovanni assumed control of the business, and soon after, Michele stepped into the management. The family-run structure that Pietro had established endured, with Giovanni expanding the direct-to-retailer distribution model using dedicated vans. The company he seeded in a modest Alba workshop would go on to create Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tacs, and the Kinder Chocolate brand, and most famously, Nutella—a hazelnut-cream spread now sold in more than 160 countries. A product born from wartime scarcity and a father's observation of hungry workers became a global staple, a testament to the vision Pietro Ferrero poured into those final years in Piedmont.

Gallery