Opinion: Ray-Ban's Billionaire Family Drama Is Hitting New Lows

Updated: Oct 16, 2026 12:50 pm IST Published On Oct 16, 2026 12:45 pm IST Last Updated On Oct 16, 2026 12:50 pm IST

Published On Oct 16, 2026 12:45 pm IST

Last Updated On Oct 16, 2026 12:50 pm IST

There are car crash interviews, and then there is Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio's podcast appearance this week.

The 31-year-old son of EssilorLuxottica SA founder Leonardo Del Vecchio, one of eight heirs to his fortune, made a series of remarkable revelations on the popular rapper-hosted Pulp Podcast, including his struggles with drug abuse and his extremely active sex life.

This was just the latest episode in a broader corporate drama unfolding at the Franco-Italian company -- owner of Ray-Ban, and partner to Meta Platforms Inc. on AI smart glasses -- which has contributed to a near halving of its share price in the space of a year.

The young Del Vecchio has in effect become an activist stakeholder in his family's firm, railing against its management and trying to become its most powerful investor. He hoped going on the podcast would show his human side, away from the name and money. Instead he deepened concerns about his judgment and wellbeing. The bizarre spectacle has harmed his campaign, even if his representatives insist otherwise.

EssilorLuxottica was already the stuff of Italian capitalist legend. Its creator Leonardo was put into an orphanage by his widowed mother because she could not afford to feed him.........

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