Diego Della Valle

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Diego Della Valle
Diego Della Valle.jpg
Della Valle in 2003
Born (1953-12-30) 30 December 1953 (age 71)
Sant'Elpidio a Mare, Marche, Italy
Alma mater University of Bologna
Occupation(s)Lawyer
businessman
Known for
Major shareholder of Tod's
Former Owner of ACF Fiorentina
Owner of Maison Schiaparelli
Board member ofChairman of Tod's
SpouseBarbara Pistilli
Children2
Relatives Andrea (brother)

Diego Della Valle (born 30 December 1953) is an Italian businessman who has been the chairman of the leather goods company Tod's.

Contents

Early life and education

Della Valle was born and raised in Sant'Elpidio a Mare [1] in Italy’s Marche region. He is the elder son of Dorino Della Valle and grandson of Filippo Della Valle. Filippo started his shoemaking business in the 1920s, making shoes for Azzedine Alaïa, Calvin Klein and Neiman Marcus, among others; [2] Diego later expanded it into the now-famous Tod's brand. [3] [4] [5]

Della Valle studied Law at the University of Bologna, obtaining an academic degree in 1975.

Career

Della Valle joined the family business in 1975 [2] and took it over in 1978. [6] That same year, he named the company J.P. Tod's. From 1996, he started converting the company's signature stores in the United States to J. P. Tod's boutiques. [7] The brand later dropped the "J.P." in 1999 after the brand became inadvertently known as solely "J.P.'s" instead of the preferred Tod's. [8] [9] He once persuaded Luca di Montezemolo, who was a protégé of the then Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli, to present Agnelli with a pair of Tod's driving moccasins – the lawyer got Agnelli to wear Tod's shoes when attending Juventus football matches, which were widely televised; this product placement prompted a spike in sales. [3] [4] [5]

Della Valle manages Tod's with his brother Andrea. The factory in Casette d'Ete was designed by his wife, Barbara. [4] [5]

In 1993, Della Valle joined forces with Montezemolo and Paolo Borgomanero on reviving the Acqua di Parma brand. [10] Since 2001, he has been a minority shareholder in funds Charme Investments (Luxembourg) and Charme II (Rome), both of which were founded by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and control knitwear brand Ballantyne and furniture firm Poltrona Frau. [11]

In 1999, Della Valle raised his stake in British shoemaker Church's to 9.5 percent, setting off the speculation about a takeover; he ultimately decided against bidding against Prada which ended up acquiring the company. [12] [13] He agreed to sell his holding to Prada. [14]

In 2004, Della Valle and his brother Andrea took a 40.6 percent stake in eyewear company Marcolin through their holdings. [11]

Through his Gruppo Diego Della Valle holding, Della Valle has owned the fashion brand Maison Schiaparelli since 2007. He has holdings in Bialetti; [11] Mediobanca; [11] and Piaggio. [2]

Around 2008, Della Valle and Montezemolo started working on the launch of high-speed train company Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. [2] In 2018, both Della Valle and Montezemolo sold, with all other shareholders, NTV to Global Infrastructure Partners' GPI III fund for nearly €2 billion; Della Valle made about €340 million from the deal. [15]

In 2009, Della Valle published a book of photographs titled Italian Touch, a collection of portraits depicting upper-class Italian families at home. [16]

Between 2009 and 2010, Della Valle increased his stake in luxury department store operator Saks, Inc. just above 19 percent, becoming the company's largest shareholder and sending its shares to a two-year high. [17] [18] When Hudson's Bay Company bought Saks, Inc. for US$2.4 billion in 2013, [19] Della Valle was said to make around $136 million on the deal. [20]

In 2013, Della Valle made a failed offer for Italy’s La7 television network. [21]

Other activities

Corporate boards

Non-profit organizations

Sports

In 2002, Della Valle bought the Tuscan football club ACF Fiorentina [3] [5] and rescued it from bankruptcy. He sold ACF Fiorentina to Rocco Commisso at the end of the 2018/2019 season.

Political activities

In 1993, Della Valle supported and financed Silvio Berlusconi’s populist Pole of Freedoms coalition, [25] but soon bowed out, citing differences in values. [16] Della Valle established himself as a political moderate [16] and publicly attacked Berlusconi for the over-taxing of big business and his failure to support smaller Italian businesses. In return, Berlusconi talked of suing Della Valle for defamation. [3] [5] Meanwhile, Della Valle is close friends with centrist politician Clemente Mastella. [25]

In the run-up to the 2013 elections, Della Valle financially supported Mario Monti's campaign. [26]

In 2015, Italian weekly newsmagazine L'Espresso reported that Della Valle had registered a logo proclaiming “Noi italiani [We Italians]” to the trademark office of the country’s Ministry of Economic Development, for categories related to a political party. [27]

Luxury purchases

In 2005, Della Valle bought John F. Kennedy’s 52-foot mahogany Marlin yacht [2] at a Christie’s auction. [28] For his travels, he owns a helicopter (first a Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, [6] later replaced with a AgustaWestland AW139) [29] and a private jet (first a Dassault Falcon 2000, [2] later replaced with a Gulfstream G550). [29]

Property portfolio

Della Valle lives in Sant'Elpidio a Mare, [1] [15] where he owns the 370-acre Villa Palombarone. [29] He also has residences in Milan, Paris, New York, La Gorce Island, [30] and a 12-acre compound in Capri. [31] [29]

Recognition

Personal life

Della Valle is married to architect Barbara Pistilli, his third wife. [6] [33] Described as a "familial philanderer", he was previously married to her older sister, Simona. [34] He has a son with both sisters making his sons simultaneously half brothers and cousins. [35]

He is known as a womanizer. [36] He also has a child with the journalist Barbara Parodi Delfino. [37]

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References

  1. 1 2 Horacio Silva (17 October 2010), Profile in Style: Diego Della Valle   New York Times .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Andrew Roberts (1 March 2009), Power Player   W .
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Diego Della Valle". 18 January 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Betts, Kate (8 March 2006). "Driving Force: Diego Della Valle". Time . Archived from the original on 11 January 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Shamoon, Stella (2 April 2006). "Diego Della Valle: Going in feet first". The Independent . Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 Kate Betts (8 March 2006), Driving Force: Diego Della Valle   Time .
  7. ↑ Constance C. R. White (1 October 1996), J. P. Tod's Conversions   New York Times .
  8. ↑ Yorker, The New (2 May 2004). "Shoe Dreams". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Sheryl Garratt (16 October 2011), Diego Della Valle of Tod's: king of loafers   The Daily Telegraph .
  10. 1 2 LVMH appoints Diego della Valle, chairman of Tod’s   LVMH, press release of 23 March 2002.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Luisa Zargani (31 October 2011), The Numbers Behind Diego Della Valle’s Empire   Women's Wear Daily .
  12. ↑ Lucy Baker (3 September 1999), Prada and Della Valle have designs on Church The Independent .
  13. ↑ No Bid By Della Valle   New York Times , 12 October 1999.
  14. ↑ James Fallon (31 October 2011), Deal For Church Uncovers Prada   Women's Wear Daily .
  15. 1 2 3 Rachel Sanderson (16 February 2018), Tod’s owner Diego Della Valle: ‘Millennials are not for everyone’ Financial Times .
  16. 1 2 3 4 Andrea Lee (1 September 2011), The Tycoon Next Door   W .
  17. ↑ Italy's Della Valle says Saks stake strategic inv Reuters , 28 May 2009.
  18. ↑ Brad Dorfman and Antonella Ciancio (21 October 2010), Italian businessman becomes Saks' largest holder   Reuters .
  19. ↑ "Hudson's Bay to Buy Luxury Retailer Saks for $2.4 Billion". Bloomberg.com. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2018– via www.bloomberg.com.
  20. ↑ Phil Wahba and Solarina Ho (29 July 2013), Hudson's Bay CEO bets big on department stores with Saks buy Reuters .
  21. ↑ Rachel Sanderson (17 February 2013), Della Valle makes offer for La7 network   Financial Times .
  22. ↑ Resignation of Diego Della Valle Assicurazioni Generali, press release of 5 June 2012.
  23. ↑ John Arlidge (30 September 2012), Tycoon roars off Ferrari board The Times .
  24. ↑ Eric Sylvers (21 March 2006), An old ally of Berlusconi becomes a foe   New York Times .
  25. 1 2 3 Amanda Kaiser (6 April 2006), Diego Della Valle’s Political Profile   Women's Wear Daily .
  26. ↑ Andrea Cuomo (18 January 2013), Il Prof ha deluso i suoi sponsor: i grandi capitali lo lasciano solo Il Giornale .
  27. ↑ Alexander Fury (23 September 2016), Diego Della Valle of Tod’s on Design, Politics — and Tattoos T: The New York Times Style Magazine .
  28. ↑ Liz Alderman (8 October 2010), A Shoemaker That Walks but Never Runs New York Times .
  29. 1 2 3 4 James Reginato (9 March 2018), How Diego Della Valle Took Tod’s from Small-Town Cobbler to Global Success   Vanity Fair .
  30. ↑ Billy Joel Sells Miami Mansion To Italian Billionaire Diego Della Valle   Forbes , 12 June 2013.
  31. ↑ Peter Aspden (12 August 2011), Lunch with the FT: Diego Della Valle Financial Times .
  32. ↑ Martino Carrera (31 May 2024), Tod’s Diego and Andrea Della Valle Receive Arquata del Tronto Honorary Citizenship   Women's Wear Daily .
  33. ↑ "Biografia di Diego Della Valle". www.cinquantamila.it (in Italian). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  34. ↑ "The Tycoon Next Door". W Magazine. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  35. ↑ Rao, Venessa Lau,Priya (21 April 2010). "All In the Family: Notorious Familial Philanderers". WWD. Retrieved 8 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ↑ "Adusbef - MA QUANTE BELLE AMICHE, SIGNOR DELLA VALLE: LA CAPRI DELLO SCARPARO E' TUTTA UN BACIO". www.adusbef.it. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  37. ↑ "montezemolo visto da perna: la sciantosa dell'industria nazionale. presidente da sempre di qualcosa". Dagospia (in Italian). 24 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
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