Finance
Former Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani dies aged 68
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 11, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 11, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Francesco Trapani, who expanded Bulgari and led its sale to LVMH, has died at 68. He was a key figure in the luxury brand's growth and held roles in various financial firms.
ROME (Reuters) -Francesco Trapani, the former Bulgari CEO who led the Italian luxury brand for three decades and orchestrated its sale to French conglomerate LVMH, has died at the age of 68, a public relations agency representing him said on Thursday.
Trapani "passed away peacefully" on Wednesday at home in Rome, Barabino & Partners said in a statement.
A descendant of the Bulgari family, Trapani became CEO in 1984 and expanded the brand from jewellery into new categories — including watches, fragrances, leather goods, and luxury hospitality — while accelerating its international growth.
He took Bulgari public on the Italian stock exchange in July 1995, a status maintained until 2011 when the company became part of LVMH. He left the company in 2014.
Trapani held senior roles at the Italian private equity fund Clessidra, the activist hedge fund Bluebell Capital and Partners, Tiffany, Tages Group, and VAM Investments.
(Wrtiting by Francesca Piscioneri, editing by Alvise Armellini and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Francesco Trapani served as the CEO of Bulgari, leading the brand for three decades starting in 1984.
Francesco Trapani passed away at the age of 68 on Wednesday at his home in Rome.
He expanded Bulgari's product range beyond jewellery to include watches, fragrances, leather goods, and luxury hospitality.
Bulgari went public on the Italian stock exchange in July 1995 and was sold to LVMH in 2011.
After leaving Bulgari in 2014, Trapani held senior roles at various investment firms, including Clessidra and Bluebell Capital.
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