'Assets worth 200 million, but we will grow further'. The managing director of Del Vecchio Jr.'s family office speaks.

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - From the recent purchase of Twiga from the hands of Flavio Briatore, through packaging (Ima), beverage (Acqua Fiuggi) and cinema (Leone Film), not to mention real estate and the subsidiary Triple Sea Food, which has grown in record time with several luxury restaurants in its belly. The holding company Lmdv Capital, founded by its sole shareholder, Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, son of Luxottica's founder, is burning the candle at the seams. "Having invested over 200 million, our Net Asset Value in 2024 will close close close to this size," began Lmdv's CEO, Marco Talarico, in an interview with Radiocor. There are many suggestions, as the ceo is also aware, around their family office, such as the continuous indiscretions, already denied, on the Mps dossier: 'We have never been interested in Monte dei Paschi, it has never been part of our targets,' replies the manager. In recent months there has also been an interest in Banca Profilo, which was then shelved.

Summing up, 'in 24 months we have invested more than EUR 200 million. Now we want to consolidate our portfolio, but we are very careful investors, so we remain vigilant and attentive to the opportunities that the market presents'. Upcoming dossiers on the table? "At the moment, we are not looking at any particular sector. Now we have to develop this Twiga acquisition, we have work to do, indeed now comes the best part'. And if 2024 went 'according to our expectations, we are convinced that 2025 will go even better'.

The new bet, therefore, is Twiga: 'The objective is to create a 100% Italian pole, a reference figure in the hospitality world that will have a turnover by 2025, depending on the new openings, of around 60 million. What we want to do is unicum'. Briatore's former brands will end up in Triple Sea Food (Tsf), which has reached revenues of around 20 million in less than two years, 'I don't think anyone has done that. And already this places us in the 'top five' of Italian groups in the catering world'.

In Tsf alone, the holding company has invested almost 10 million euro, with the aim of soon exceeding 60 million in turnover, including Twiga. Prudence, on the other hand, on foreign markets: 'Venturing into foreign markets without the right partners, you run into more than one headache, but this applies to all types of investment, not just catering.

The holding company's growth, Talarico makes it clear, does not stop here: "Del Vecchio's commitment in recent years, which is now accelerating with this latest transaction, sends out the message that the objectives are certainly challenging and, therefore, it will be easy to grow further". The manager does not reveal any figures from the transaction with Briatore ("let's just say that the deal numbers made both parties happy") and explains the rationale behind the family office's acquisitions to date: "Our philosophy is to go in search of Italian talent, which is going through a generational transition. The goal is to come in and work synergistically together with the management and shareholders to put the company back on a path of growth'.