On 21 October 2026 the Forbes real-time list had 83 billionaires from Italy, with a combined net worth of $466 billion. That is 2.3% of the world total and puts Italy #7 of 77 countries on the list. On 19 January 2020 it was 37 billionaires and $163 billion (1.7% of the world).
The video shows the richest people one by one. This article looks at what the tiles cannot show: the whole list, where the money comes from, how the country total moved, and what the average billionaire looks like.
How concentrated is the wealth?
The richest person, Giancarlo Devasini, holds $89 billion, or 19% of the national total. The top three together hold 38% and the top ten 57%. On the world list Giancarlo Devasini is ranked #22.
The average billionaire from Italy had $4.4B in January 2020 and has $5.6B now, 1.3 times as much.
The number of people on the list grew from 37 to 83, so the increase in the total reflects both higher valuations and more people being listed.
Where the money comes from
Counting each person under the main industry Forbes gives, finance and investments is the largest source of wealth in Italy: $184 billion, or 39% of the total. It is followed by fashion and retail (22%), food and beverage (13%).
How the total moved
The combined net worth of billionaires from Italy started at $163 billion in 2020, fell to $116 billion on 19 March 2020 and reached its highest point of $490 billion on 11 August 2026, when the list had 85 billionaires from Italy.
By 31 August 2026 (the last day of the country series) it was $484 billion, close to the peak.
The number of billionaires from Italy on the list ranged from 30 to 86 during this period. A person can enter or leave the list because the cut-off moves with the market, not only because their own wealth changes.
Biggest movers among the people in the video
Comparing 1 February 2020 with 21 October 2026, the largest relative gains were Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone ($3.0B to $12B, +286%), Piero Ferrari ($3.7B to $8.2B, +124%) and Giovanni Ferrero ($22B to $46B, +109%).
The weakest development was Massimiliana Landini Aleotti ($8.9B to $7.7B, -13%) and Silvio Berlusconi ($7.1B to $6.8B, -4%).
In absolute terms, Giovanni Ferrero added the most: $24B.
Who the billionaires are
Of the 83 billionaires from Italy, 23 are women (28%). Ages are known for 27 of them; their average age is 43 and the median 42.
How to read the numbers
- Figures are Forbes estimates in current US dollars, taken from the real-time list. The source project states that it makes no claim to accuracy or completeness.
- A person is assigned to a country by citizenship, not by where they live. A family entry (marked “& family”) refers to the family fortune.
- Daily values are noisy because they follow stock prices, so the video steps through the data in half-month intervals and the chart above shows weekly values.
- The country series ends on 31 August 2026; the list used for the 21 October 2026 numbers is the latest one available.
Sources
Forbes real-time billionaires, compiled by komed3 (rtb-api on GitHub, MIT licence).
