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Ray-Ban heir buys 2% stake in Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
Finance

Ray-Ban heir buys 2% stake in Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on November 6, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: November 6, 2026

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Ray-Ban Heir Leonardo Del Vecchio Purchases Stake in Il Fatto Quotidiano

Leonardo Del Vecchio's Investment in Italian Media

(Removes extraneous words in headline)

Acquisition of Stake in SEIF

ROME, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, an heir to the late founder of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, said on Friday he had bought a 2% stake in the company that controls an Italian opposition daily in which he had previously expressed an interest in acquiring.

Previous Bid and Shareholder Response

Del Vecchio said last week that he had dropped a potential bid for Il Fatto Quotidiano owner SEIF after the Milan-listed company's main shareholders rejected his request for access to due diligence.

Public Announcement and Media Presence

Social Media Reveal

On X, the Italian businessman posted a picture showing him reading the paper, wearing sunglasses, along with the message "I also bought Il Fatto Quotidiano. 2%."

Existing Media Holdings

LMDV's Portfolio

The 31-year-old already has significant media holdings in Italy through his indebted holding company LMDV, namely the QN daily and a 30% stake in the Il Giornale daily, formerly owned by the Berlusconi family.

Relationship with Il Fatto Quotidiano

Past Criticism

Before offering to buy Il Fatto Quotidiano, Del Vecchio frequently lashed out at its reporting. In an October 22 post on X, he accused them of running a "smear campaign" against him, and called them "rats of journalism".

(Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise Armellini, editing by Gianluca Semeraro)

Key Takeaways

  • Del Vecchio’s LMDV Media already owns significant media assets: an 80% stake in the QN group (Il Giorno, La Nazione, Il Resto del Carlino, QN) and 30% of Il Giornale (ansa.it)
  • His initial bid for full control of SEIF was thwarted when SEIF’s founders, who control a majority stake, rejected due diligence and refused to sell (ansa.it)
  • Il Fatto Quotidiano remains influential in Italy’s fragmented media landscape, known for its digital reach and opposition role; Del Vecchio’s investment adds to debates over media consolidation and editorial independence (reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk)

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio?
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio is an heir of the late founder of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica and a media investor in Italy.
How much of Il Fatto Quotidiano's owner did Del Vecchio acquire?
Leonardo Del Vecchio bought a 2% stake in SEIF, the company that owns Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Why did Del Vecchio previously drop his bid for SEIF?
He dropped his bid after SEIF's main shareholders rejected his request for access to due diligence.
What other media holdings does Del Vecchio have?
He owns the QN daily and a 30% stake in Il Giornale daily in Italy.
Has Del Vecchio criticized Il Fatto Quotidiano before?
Yes, Del Vecchio has publicly criticized Il Fatto Quotidiano, accusing it of running a 'smear campaign' against him.

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