Michele Ferrero and family
Italian chocolatier Michele Ferrero tops the list of the richest people in global food and drink manufacturing with a fortune of £15.7bn – making him the 22nd wealthiest person in the world.
He is the patriarch of the family that owns the Ferrero Group, maker of Kinder and Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Nutella and Tic Tac.
In 1946, his parents Pietro and Piera transformed a pastry shop into a factory and started manufacturing chocolate products. Having joined the business in 1950, Michele is credited with having helped his father invent the firm’s products.
Michele’s son Giovanni is now ceo.
The Kinder and Ferrero brands are now available in five continents and manufactured from 18 plants worldwide.
The firm plans to open production facilities in the UK to manufacture its Nutella spread and double sales here to £400M next year.