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Italian publisher, engineer, and industrialist Carlo De Benedetti was born on November 14, 1934. He has made substantial contributions to the media, philanthropy, and business during the course of his amazing multi-decade career. Renowned in the Italian and Swiss communities, De Benedetti’s life is a mosaic of triumphs, setbacks, and dedication to charitable endeavors.
Early Life and Education
Born into an affluent Jewish family, Carlo De Benedetti’s surname took on a noteworthy kink because of a misspelling that set him apart from his brother, Italian Senator Franco Debenedetti. The De Benedetti family had difficult times when they sought safety in Switzerland in 1943 during World War II.
Carlo attended the Polytechnic University of Turin to complete his electrical engineering studies after returning to Italy. In 1959, he started working for his father’s manufacturing company, Compagnia Italiana Tubi Metallici Flessibili. His aptitude for business was quickly recognized, and in 1972 the Gilardini firm was acquired, with him taking on the positions of CEO and president.
Career
During the Anni di Piombo era of internal terrorism in 1975, Carlo De Benedetti briefly left Italy and returned to Switzerland. He was CEO of FIAT for a brief while, from May to August 1976. Conflicts over hiring decisions led to his departure from FIAT, demonstrating his dedication to corporate values.
He took over the national daily La Repubblica and the news magazine L’Espresso when he purchased the CIR Group in November 1976. He then took over as CEO of Olivetti in 1978 and remained there until 1996. Olivetti saw a dramatic change under his direction, concentrating more on computers than on mechanical typewriters, which demonstrated De Benedetti’s vision for the tech sector.
De Benedetti established Omnitel and Infostrada, two telecom firms, in 1995. After two years, he combined the editorial groups of L’Espresso and La Repubblica to form Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso. His power also permeated the media, since he was the owner of important left-wing magazines like La Repubblica, L’Espresso, and La Stampa.
De Benedetti has been a prominent figure in Italian center-left politics, often at odds with Silvio Berlusconi. His control over left-leaning media outlets like La Repubblica and L’Espresso solidified his influence in shaping public opinion. A feud with Berlusconi, a fellow media tycoon and political figure, added a political dimension to De Benedetti’s legacy.
In 2005, De Benedetti reportedly offered the position of Italian finance minister to Benjamin Netanyahu, then the Finance Minister of Israel, a gesture that was later claimed to be a joke.
Who is Carlo de Benedetti’s First Wife?
Carlo de Benedetti’s first wife is called Mita Crosetti. There is not much information about Mita Crosetti.
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