Maria Franca Ferrero, the billionaire heiress to the Ferrero chocolate empire, has died at the age of 87. She passed away at her home in Alba, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, in the early hours of Thursday.
Mrs Ferrero was the wife of the late Michele Ferrero, the creator of Nutella and Kinder, who transformed his family's small bakery into the global Ferrero Group. The company, founded in 1946 by his father Pietro and uncle Giovanni, produces Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and more than 30 other brands, sold in over 170 countries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute, saying: 'With her passing, Italy loses a figure who embodied - with elegance and quiet dignity - a model of enterprise that creates value while never losing sight of the community.'
Maria Franca Fissolo married Michele Ferrero in 1962, famously telling him she 'didn't like chocolate'. They were together for 53 years until his death in 2015. Her personal fortune was estimated at around €2.2 billion (£1.9 billion). In December last year, she was appointed honorary life president of Ferrero International S.A.
She also led the Ferrero Foundation, which provides activities and healthcare services for retirees and awards scholarships to children of employees. She is survived by her son Giovanni, the current chairman of the group, daughters-in-law Paola and Luisa, and five grandchildren. Her firstborn, Pietro, died in a cycling accident in 2011.
