The Italian industrialist Giovanni Agnelli was one of the leading capitalists of the 20th century. He owned a variety of companies with sales of over $15 billion and employed 360,000 people. Before founding Fiat, he was a playboy who dated several famous actresses. He was also fond of large yachts and trips to the French Riviera and St. Moritz.
Agnelli was a prominent international businessman who built FIAT from a small company. The company’s sales grew to become the largest in Italy. The company he built was responsible for boosting post-war industrialization and creating many jobs. The company was named after his grandfather, Edoardo Agnelli, who had founded FIAT in Turin in the early 20th century. After his grandfather died of a plane accident, Gianni Agnelli and his brother Vittorio took over the company.
The company grew, and he began opening factories all over the world. He also began international joint ventures and alliances, including Iveco. The company’s growth paved the way for a new industrial mentality. At the start of the Second World War, Agnelli was still active in Fiat, and the National Liberation Committee suspected him of collusion with the Fascist regime. He was later cleared of the charges.
Agnelli had previously befriended Kristen Stewart when she starred in his movie Welcome to the Rileys. A friend of the actor has defended the actress. Nonetheless, Agnelli has played down the relationship between the actress and Rupert Sanders. However, he has been accused of misleading numerous people by hiding the fact that he is the illegitimate son of the industrialist Gianni Agnelli.
The eldest son of the Fiat family, Agnelli joined the army when he was only 14 years old. His mother died in an automobile accident in the same year. In 1944, Agnelli received his law degree at the University of Turin. Later, he served in the Italian army as a lieutenant on the eastern front and in North Africa. Although he was injured during the war, he returned to the army after the Italians’ surrender to the Allies.
Agnelli was a strong leader of Fiat and fought against the influence of government-controlled enterprises. He brought in a new generation of managers to Fiat and overtook Volkswagen as the largest seller in Europe. He also diversified Fiat’s business, ensuring that the company would continue to prosper even in the face of rising oil prices.
Agnelli also played an important role in shaping Europe’s industry to compete on a global scale, while at the same time protecting local business. The car industry, like the steel industry, had a tough time with a new wave of Japanese competition. In the late 1970s, Fiat’s automotive division experienced three years of losses, but in 1981, it turned a profit. However, the company’s steel division lost hundreds of millions of dollars.