Paolo Vitelli, founder of Azimut Benetti, died in Val d'Aosta

Paolo Vitelli, the founder of Azimut Benetti, theluxury yachting giant, has died in a domestic accident. The entrepreneur was in his house in Ayas (Aosta), in the hamlet of Mascognaz when, according to information, he slipped while operating a shutter and hit his head on the concrete. He was 77 years old and was at home in the valley. Not only had he bought and renovated the historic Hotel Breithorn, dating back to 1903, but he also revived the Walser village of Marcognaz, now a luxury resort.

Vitelli was born in Turin on 4 October 1947. He was studying economics and commerce when in 1969 he founded Azimut, a sailboat charter business. In 1975 he made his debut in design and was immediately a success with the AZ 43' Bali, over the years the models increased but the big step came in 1985 with the acquisition (and rescue) of the historic Benetti brand founded in 1873 and known for the creation of prestigious megayachts. Today the group, which as from 2023 is led by Vitelli's daughter, Giovanna, produces in 6 shipyards, in Avigliana in Piedmont, Savona in Liguria, Viareggio and Livorno in Tuscany, Fano in the Marche and Itajai in Brazil, motor yachts from 9 to 110 metres under the Azimut and Benetti brands. The value of production is 1,300 million euro in the nautical year 2023-2024, employees are about 2,500 with a permanent induced workforce of about 5,000 people. Azimut|Benetti sells 95% of its production in 70 countries, through a worldwide network of dealers supported by the company's direct offices.

Paolo Vitelli has also been involved in the construction of marinas in Italy in Varazze, Viareggio and Livorno, in Malta under the old city of Valletta, and in Russia in Moscow on Lake Himki. He also built a small chain of 'Hotel de Charme', restoring old buildings in Chamonix in France, in Champoluc and in Mascognaz in the Aosta Valley, for which he received the regional honour 'amis de la Vallée d'Aoste'. From 1974 to 2018 he was honorary consul of Norway. From 1998 to 2006 he was president of Ucina, the Association of the Italian Marine Industry Confindustria. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary degree in mechanical engineering by the Polytechnic University of Turin. From March 2013 to September 2015 he was a Member of Parliament of the Republic, elected in the Scelta Civica con Monti per l'Italia list; he was a member of the Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR) and of the Transport and Finance Committees.