Leonardo Del Vecchio

Born into poverty in Milan in 1935 as one of five children, Leonardo Del Vecchio's mother placed him in an orphanage at age 7 after his father's early death. At 14, he began working at a tool-and-die plant making eyeglass and car parts, where he lost part of his left index finger. In 1961, at age 25, Del Vecchio moved to Agordo in Italy's Veneto region, investing in a workshop producing metal eyeglass components. He expanded Luxottica to full frames by 1971, achieving vertical integration by acquiring retailer Carrone in 1974. Del Vecchio's ambition fueled a buying spree—Ray-Ban, Oakley, Sunglass Hut—and the 2018 EssilorLuxottica merger. Shy and media-averse, he attributed success to relentless perfection, amassing Italy's highest tax bill as its second-richest man.