Overview
- Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio gave a widely viewed podcast interview on Monday in which he said he struggles with benzodiazepine dependence, claimed he has slept with over 2,000 women, and sharply criticized EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri.
- He resigned from executive roles in August after failing to win Delfin's backing for loans to buy out two siblings in a roughly €10 billion deal, a bid that would have raised his stake in the family holding from 12.5% toward 37.5%.
- Bloomberg and other outlets report he has disclosed about €950 million of debt, including roughly €500 million of personal borrowings, which limits his ability to finance a takeover or big buyout.
- Delfin and EssilorLuxottica's board have publicly backed Milleri while a Luxembourg court is deciding whether heirs can move personal Delfin stakes into individual holding companies, a legal ruling that would affect control options.
- Shares of EssilorLuxottica have plunged about 46% this year, shrinking market value and raising investor scrutiny that increases reputational and succession stakes for the Del Vecchio family.