Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, an heir to Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica, is reportedly seeking greater influence over the eyewear group’s holding company. This move comes as the empire’s future ownership structure is called into question.
According to Reuters, the 31-year-old manager is considering financing worth around ten billion euros. Del Vecchio, who serves as chief strategy officer at EssilorLuxottica and as chairman of Ray-Ban, wants to acquire the shares of two siblings in Delfin. Delfin is the Luxembourg-based holding company that owns 32.4 percent of EssilorLuxottica.
If completed, the transaction would increase Del Vecchio’s stake in Delfin from 12.5 percent to 37.5 percent. This would make him the company’s largest shareholder.
The move follows the death of EssilorLuxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio in 2022. At that time, ownership of the family holding was divided equally among eight heirs. Since then, differing views among shareholders have reportedly complicated decision-making within the group.
Although Del Vecchio could receive a significantly larger share, he would not gain full control of Delfin. Important strategic decisions require qualified majorities of shareholders according to the governance rules set by the founder.
The news follows EssilorLuxottica reporting weaker profit in its 2025 financial year, despite a rise in global sales. In the reporting year, the group’s net profit fell by 1.9 percent to 2.32 billion euros, while operating profit fell by two percent year-on-year.
Annual sales rose 7.5 percent to 28.49 billion euros during this period, with double-digit growth recorded in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific.
The group is currently initiating a medtech strategy that envisions a move away from traditional eyewear towards a holistic healthcare ecosystem. This development is driven by the vertical integration of medical research and advanced devices. The goal is to create therapeutic treatments and connected wearables.
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