Giovanni Agnelli

Giovanni Agnelli (13 August 1866 – 16 December 1945) was an Italian businessman who founded the Fiat S.p.A. car manufacturing in 1899. Early life The son of Edoardo Agnelli and Aniceta Frisetti, a landowning family who grew up in families rooted in the business, entrepreneurial, and financial environment of Turin on the eve of its industrialization, he was born in 1866 in Villar Perosa, a small town near Pinerolo, Piedmont, still the main home and burial place of the Agnelli family. His father, mayor of Villar Perosa, died at age 40, when he was five. He studied at the Collegio San Giuseppe in Turin, and then embarked on a military career. In 1893, Agnelli returned to Villar Perosa, where he followed in his father's footsteps and became mayor in 1895, a post that he held until his death in 1945; he was succeeded by his grandson, Gianni Agnelli, whom he took care of since his son, Edoardo Agnelli, died in a plane accident in 1935. In the late 19th century, Agnelli heard about the invention of the then-new horseless carriage and immediately saw an opportunity for using his engineering and entrepreneurial skills. In 1898, he met Count Emanuele Cacherano di Bricherasio, who was looking for investors for his horseless carriage project; Agnelli sensed the opportunity and Fiat was founded in 1899. He married Clara Boselli; they had seven children. As of 2000, from Agnelli and Boselli came over seventy descendants between children, nephews, and spouses. Career On 11 July 1899, Agnelli was part of the group of founding members of Fiat S.p.A., an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino, which became Fiat; he paid $400 for his share. One year later, he was the managing director of the new company and became the chairman in 1920. The first Fiat plant opened in 1900 with 35 staff making 24 cars. The company was known from the beginning for the talent and creativity of its engineering staff. By 1903, Fiat made a small profit and produced 135 cars growing to 1,149 cars by 1906. The company then went public selling shares via the Milan stock exchange. Agnelli began purchasing all the shares he could to add to his holdings. During this time, he overcame scandals and labour problems, such as in the Biennio Rosso. He asked Giovanni Giolitti to intervene militarily to clear up Fiat's factories; Giolitti refused.