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Milan (Reuters) – The Italian billionaire Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone has become a leading actor in the remodeling of the Italian financial sector that is underway.
Battles in general and medical
Caltagirone last year expanded his investments in the Italian financial sector and is now a key shareholder of the Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena (MPS) rescued bank (MPS) and the Anima Holding background manager.
MPS launched a surprise offer on Friday € 13.3 billion to buy the Medical Mercantile Bank, in which Caltagirone has, in the last five years, become the second largest investor.
He is the third shareholder of the main Italian insurer Generali, with a participation of 6.9%. Medobanca is the first Generali investor with a participation of 13%.
Caltagirone has repeatedly denounced that Medobanca has an excessive influence on Generali through the Council and a system of government that allows the outgoing counselors to appoint their successors.
As a long date investor and a member of the Generali Council, in 2022, he and the late billionaire Leonardo del Vecchio sought in he dismissed the CEO Philippe Donnet.
The conservative government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has approved the changes in corporate government challenged by Caltagirone and criticized by the fundraisers, who harden the terms in which the board of directors leaving a company can present a list of successors.
Donnet’s mandate is renewed in the spring and is expected to be proposed for another mandate with the support of Mediobanca.
What is your role in Italian bank consolidation?
Caltagirone’s stakes may face the CEO of Unicredit, Andrea Orcel, who in November launched a purchase offer for Banco BPM, shortly after BPM had launched his own offer for Anime and bought a 5% participation. at MPS.
The Treasure of Rome has long been committed to combining BPM with MPS, which are associated with Anima, and build a long -term shareholder nucleus while returning to privatize the bank based in Siena, which rescued 2017, as they have said Sources.
Before unicredit turned the plans of Rome, Caltagirone, with a participation of 5% in MPS, a participation of 5.3% of anima and 2% of BPM, it seemed that it would become a major shareholder of the combined entity. .
Caltagirone appointed two representatives in December in the MPS Council, including his son Alessandro.
Who is Caltagirone?
Italian entrepreneur with interests in construction, the cement industry, real estate, edition and finance, Caltagirone was born in Rome on March 2, 1943 in a family of Sicilian descent.
According to forbes wealth ranking of 2024, Caltagirone is the 10th richest person in Italy with an estimated wealth of 5.6 billion euros ($ 5.9 billion).
