Leonardo Del Vecchio split his holding company into eight equal shares, and his heirs are suing in Milan and Luxembourg

Leonardo Del Vecchio grew up in an orphanage and founded Luxottica in Agordo in 1961. He died on 27 June 2022, aged 87. He held his empire through Delfin, a Luxembourg holding. In 2026 Delfin holds about 32 percent of EssilorLuxottica and stakes in Generali and Monte dei Paschi-Mediobanca, and is valued at about €40 billion. His will split Delfin into eight quotas of 12.5 percent: his wife Nicoletta Zampillo, his six children from three marriages, and Zampillo's son Rocco Basilico. Codicils left about 1.7 million EssilorLuxottica shares, worth about €320 million, to chief executive Francesco Milleri. Major decisions need 88 percent of the votes. Luca, Paola and Clemente accepted the inheritance with benefit of inventory. In October 2024 Milan prosecutors named Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio a suspect in the Equalize case. They allege he paid for illegal database searches on relatives and a false New York police report about his half-brother Claudio. His lawyer denies it. On 27 April 2026 Delfin's shareholders approved his purchase of Luca's and Paola's quotas for €10 billion; Claudio and Rocco voted against. The deal stalled when the board refused to let him pledge the shares to his banks. In September 2026 Luca and Paola prepared to claim a €500 million penalty. Zampillo is suing Rocco to recover the voting usufruct she gave him in 2022. Hearings are set in Luxembourg for 16 and 23 November 2026 and in Milan for 27 March 2027.