John Elkann
Born 1976 · Age 49
Italian-American industrialist; chairman of Stellantis, chairman (and former CEO) of Ferrari, CEO and chairman of Exor; fifth-generation leader of the Agnelli industrial dynasty.
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Life & Career Timeline
Baccalauréat scientifique (Lycée Victor-Duruy)
Obtained baccalauréat scientifique at Lycée Victor-Duruy in Paris.
Moved to Italy for university (Politecnico di Torino)
Moved to Turin to attend the Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino).
Appointed to Fiat S.p.A. board
Joined the board of Fiat S.p.A. (first board appointment at a young age as part of family succession plan).
Selected as family heir
In December 1997 he was chosen by his grandfather Gianni Agnelli as the heir to the Agnelli family's industrial interests, after the death of Giovanni Alberto Agnelli.
Graduated Politecnico di Torino
Graduated with a degree in management engineering; thesis on e-commerce and online auctions.
Joined General Electric (Corporate Audit)
Entered GE's Corporate Audit program to gain corporate experience after university.
Left General Electric
Left GE after approximately two years to move back to Turin to be closer to his ageing grandfather and family business.
Joined IFIL (later Exor)
Joined the family holding company IFIL; in charge of control and development and supervised assets including Rinascente and Alpitour.
Death of Gianni Agnelli
Gianni Agnelli, his maternal grandfather and long-time head of Fiat, died in 2003—a major family and business turning point.
Death of Umberto Agnelli; became vice-chairman of Fiat
Following the death of his great-uncle Umberto Agnelli, Elkann became vice-chairman of Fiat and vice-chairman of the Giovanni Agnelli family partnership.
Instrumental in appointment of Sergio Marchionne
Played a key role in bringing Sergio Marchionne in as CEO of Fiat (May 2004), a pivotal decision for Fiat's turnaround.
Marriage to Lavinia Borromeo
Married Donna Lavinia Borromeo in a Catholic ceremony on Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore.
Attendee of Allen & Co Sun Valley conference (recurring)
Has been attending the Allen & Co. media and technology conference at Sun Valley since 2009 (attendee history noted from 2009 onward).
Replaced Gianluigi Gabetti as head of IFIL
Replaced the 83-year-old Gabetti as head of IFIL. At that time IFIL managed a portfolio worth roughly €8 billion.
Fiat–Chrysler alliance (2009 period)
During the global recession period, Fiat deepened its alliance with Chrysler (Elkann and Exor were central actors in the strategy culminating in full ownership later).
Merged IFI and IFIL to create Exor; became chairman
Consolidated family holding companies IFI and IFIL into Exor and assumed the role of chairman at the first Exor board meeting (2 March 2009).
Supported Andrea Agnelli at Juventus
As head of Exor/Fiat interests, backed cousin Andrea Agnelli's successful bid to become chairman of Juventus F.C.
Exor portfolio value reported ~€8 billion (2008 reference)
When Elkann replaced Gabetti the IFIL-managed portfolio was reported at about €8 billion (reported 2008); context for Exor's early scale under his leadership.
Appointed chairman of Fiat S.p.A.
Named chairman of Fiat S.p.A. (succeeding Luca Cordero di Montezemolo), taking a more public leadership role at the company.
Appeal of Conscience Award
Received the Appeal of Conscience Award (September 2010).
Appointed chairman and CEO of Exor
Took the combined executive role at Exor in February 2011, consolidating leadership of the family's holding company.
Resigned as vice-chairman of Confindustria
Stepped down from the Confindustria vice-chairmanship in October 2011 prior to Fiat's formal exit from the association.
Member/attendee at Bilderberg meetings (attended 2012)
Attended the Bilderberg Group annual meeting in Chantilly, Virginia (2012) and was a member of the group until c.2020.
Renounced U.S. citizenship
Formally renounced U.S. citizenship (publicly reported in 2012).
Participated in Mille Miglia (historic car race)
Participated in the Mille Miglia historic car event with his wife in May 2012.
Miami–New York monohull crossing (yachting)
As owner, took part in a Miami–New York monohull crossing with Giovanni Soldini and the Maserati team attempting a record (~947 miles) in March 2012.
RORC Caribbean 600 (2015 attempt and related events)
Participated in multiple prestigious sailing regattas with Giovanni Soldini's Maserati team (RORC Caribbean 600 retirement in Jan 2015; record attempts culminating in a San Francisco–Shanghai record of 21 days, 19h, 32m, 54s reported thereafter).
Included in Fortune's '40 under 40' influential managers
Named by Fortune among the world’s most influential managers under age 40 (2013).
Transpac Race (Los Angeles–Honolulu) — 2nd place
Participated as crew with Giovanni Soldini; the team finished second in the Transpac race (2013).
Cape2Rio victory and record (yachting)
Member of Giovanni Soldini's team that won the Cape2Rio (Cape Town to Rio) race and set a new speed record (2014).
Fondazione Agnelli: eduscopio.it portal launched
Fondazione Agnelli (where Elkann is involved) launched the eduscopio.it portal (since 2014) to help families find top secondary schools.
Fiat acquires full ownership of Chrysler
By January 2014 Fiat completed acquisition of full ownership of Chrysler, completing the post-2009 alliance process in which Elkann played a leadership role.
Media and tech engagement: Google Camp contributor
Regular contributor to Google Camp tech gatherings in Sicily; involved in dialogues with tech leaders (ongoing involvement noted from mid-2010s).
Exor acquires insurer PartnerRe
Exor, under Elkann, acquired the reinsurer PartnerRe (2015), expanding Exor's portfolio into insurance.
Acquired majority stake in The Economist Group
Exor acquired a majority stake in The Economist Group (reported in 2015), marking a major media investment for Elkann/Exor.
Ferrari IPO on Wall Street
Ferrari made its debut on the U.S. stock market in October 2015; Exor retained a controlling stake.
Move of Fiat and Exor to the Netherlands
Led relocation of Fiat and Exor's legal structures to the Netherlands to adopt a Dutch shareholder structure (reported 2016).
Participated in 100th Targa Florio
Took part in the centenary edition of the Targa Florio historic car race (May 2016).
Inauguration of neonatal intensive care unit (Sant'Anna project)
First neonatal intensive care unit inaugurated (9 May 2016) as part of philanthropic support co-funded by Elkann and family projects.
Became chairman of GEDI and Giovanni Agnelli Foundation (period)
From around 2017 Elkann assumed chairmanship roles at GEDI Gruppo Editoriale (media) and the Giovanni Agnelli Foundation (philanthropy).
Appointed chairman of Ferrari
In July 2018 he was appointed chairman of Ferrari (shortly before Sergio Marchionne's death).
Exor bought controlling stake in GEDI (from CIR) for $113M
Exor purchased the controlling stake in GEDI Gruppo Editoriale from CIR for $113 million (2019), expanding media holdings.
Announced intent to merge FCA with PSA (and attempted Renault talks)
Publicly pursued a merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group, and in May 2019 sought to involve Renault; set stage for later merger.
Participated in charity 'Partita del Cuore' (2019)
Took part in the 28th edition of Partita del Cuore (May 2019) to raise funds for regional cancer research and Telethon.
FCA and PSA agreement to merge
In December 2019 FCA and Groupe PSA reached a definitive agreement to merge, creating the basis for a new global automaker.
Agnelli family €10 million COVID-19 donation
As family leader Elkann approved a €10 million donation to Italy's Civil Protection and La Stampa Foundation to help during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020).
Forewent compensation due to COVID-19
In March 2020 Elkann and FCA's board agreed to forego their remaining compensation for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Name 'Stellantis' announced for merged company
In July 2020 Elkann and FCA CEO Mike Manley announced that the combined FCA/PSA company would be called Stellantis.
Won Rolex Middle Sea Race
Onboard Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70, Elkann's team won the Rolex Middle Sea Race (October 2020).
Became interim CEO of Ferrari
Following Louis Camilleri's resignation, Elkann assumed the role of CEO of Ferrari (Dec 2020) in addition to chairman duties.
Exor asset growth claim: ninefold in ten years (2011–2021)
Public reporting indicates the value of Exor's assets multiplied approximately nine times over a ten-year period during Elkann's leadership (statement in 2021 communications).
Forbes net worth estimate ~US$2 billion
Forbes estimated John Elkann's personal net worth around US$2 billion (2021).
Nominated Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour
Awarded Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour (Cavalieri del Lavoro) in the automotive industry by President Sergio Mattarella (May 2021).
Laid first stone of CERN Science Gateway
Attended the ceremony for laying the first stone of CERN's Science Gateway (21 June 2021); Exor/Stellantis Foundation a main supporter.
Stepped down as Ferrari CEO; Benedetto Vigna appointed
Served as Ferrari CEO from Dec 2020 until Benedetto Vigna was appointed CEO in September 2021.
Included in Bloomberg's '50 most influential people and ideas' list
Recognized by Bloomberg in December 2021 for influence in global business (notably the FCA–PSA merger forming Stellantis).
Exor Ventures: over €500M invested since 2018 (ongoing)
Through Exor Ventures (formerly Exor Seeds), Elkann has overseen investments of over €500 million in startups and innovation since 2018.
20th anniversary reflections on Gianni Agnelli's death
In January 2023 interviews Elkann reflected on 20 years since Gianni Agnelli's death and reported growth metrics for the group (2003–2022 comparisons).
Founded Lingotto (Exor-owned investment management)
Announced the launch of Lingotto, an Exor-owned investment management company headquartered in London (15 May 2023).
Ferrari returns to Le Mans and wins centenary edition
As Executive Chairman of Ferrari, Elkann presided over the company's return as manufacturer to 24 Hours of Le Mans (2023) and winning the centenary edition.
Official inauguration of CERN Science Gateway
Attended the official inauguration of CERN's Science Gateway (October 2023); auditorium dedicated to Sergio Marchionne.
Wall Street Journal profile on Stellantis leadership challenges
Featured in a Dec 2024 Wall Street Journal profile discussing his leadership at Stellantis and efforts to stabilize Jeep/Stellantis amid CEO turnover (media coverage milestone).
Appointed to Meta Platforms board of directors
Named as a board director of Meta Platforms (6 January 2025) alongside other high-profile appointees.
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