Ferrero heiress who “was not a fan of chocolate” dies at 87

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By: Sahili Aya

Ferrero heiress who “was not a fan of chocolate” dies at 87

Maria Franca Ferrera, billionaire heiress to the Ferrero Group empire and widow of industrialist Michele Ferrero, has died at the age of 87 at her home in Alba, in Italy’s Piedmont region.

Ferrera inherited one of the world’s largest confectionery businesses following her husband’s death in 2015. At the time, Michele Ferrero was widely regarded as Italy’s wealthiest businessman. The group he built includes globally recognized brands such as Nutella, Kinder and Ferrero Rocher, and operates dozens of production facilities worldwide, employing tens of thousands of people.

Despite her association with the chocolate industry, Ferrera once remarked that she did not particularly enjoy chocolate — a detail often cited as a curious footnote in her life story. Born in Savigliano in 1939, she studied at an interpreters’ college in Milan before joining Ferrero in the early 1960s as a translator. It was there that she met Michele Ferrero, whom she married in 1962.

The couple had two sons, Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero. Pietro died suddenly in 2011, while Giovanni now serves as executive chairman of the family-owned company.

Over the years, Ferrera maintained a discreet public profile, focusing largely on philanthropic and cultural initiatives. In 2024, she was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, one of the country’s highest civilian distinctions, in recognition of her contributions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute, describing Ferrera as a figure who combined entrepreneurial legacy with a strong sense of community responsibility. In a public message, Meloni praised her “elegance and quiet dignity,” saying her passing marked the loss of a woman who embodied a model of enterprise attentive to both economic value and social impact.

In December, Ferrera had been unanimously appointed honorary life president of the Ferrero Group during an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting — a symbolic recognition of her long-standing connection to the company.

Her death closes a chapter in the history of one of Italy’s most prominent family-owned businesses, whose products have become staples in households around the world.