Diego Della Valle

Diego Della Valle
Born	(1953-12-30) December 30, 1953 Sant'Elpidio a Mare, Marche, Italy
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman
Known for	Chairman of Tod's, former owner of ACF Fiorentina

Diego Della Valle (born 30 December 1953) is an Italian entrepreneur and the current chairman of Tod's. He previously held ownership of ACF Fiorentina, which he relinquished after being convicted in connection to the Calciopoli scandal involving match-fixing.

Early life

Hailing from Sant'Elpidio a Mare in Marche, Italy, Della Valle is the eldest son of Dorino Della Valle and the grandson of Filippo Della Valle, the founder of a shoemaking company established during the 1920s. Diego significantly developed this family business into the luxury brand Tod's. He completed his law studies at the University of Bologna in 1975.

Career

Della Valle entered the family enterprise in 1975 and assumed leadership in 1978, rebranding it as J.P. Tod's that same year. Starting in 1996, he transformed U.S. retail outlets into J.P. Tod's boutiques, later dropping "J.P." in 1999 to concentrate solely on the Tod's label. The company is co-managed with his brother Andrea.

During the 1980s, he introduced the Fay brand, drawing inspiration from jackets worn by Maine firefighters. In 1993, together with Montezemolo and Paolo Borgomanero, he worked to revive the prestigious brand Acqua di Parma. Since 2001, he has held minority shares in Charme Investments and Charme II, which oversee the knitwear label Ballantyne and furniture manufacturer Poltrona Frau.

In 1999, Della Valle increased his ownership in British shoemaker Church's to 9.5%, triggering speculation about a takeover; however, he eventually sold his shares to Prada. In 2004, he and his brother acquired a 40.6% interest in eyewear producer Marcolin. Through Gruppo Diego Della Valle, he controls Maison Schiaparelli (acquired in 2007) and holds stakes in Bialetti, Mediobanca, and Piaggio.

Around 2008, Della Valle collaborated with Montezemolo to establish Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV), a high-speed rail company. They sold NTV in 2018 to Global Infrastructure Partners for close to €2 billion, with Della Valle receiving approximately €340 million from the transaction. Between 2009 and 2010, he raised his shareholding in luxury department store operator Saks, Inc. to over 19%, becoming its largest individual investor; following Hudson's Bay Company's $2.4 billion acquisition of Saks in 2013, Della Valle reportedly earned about $136 million. In the same year, he submitted an unsuccessful bid for Italy’s La7 television network.

In 2014, Ferrari board member Lapo Elkann accused Della Valle publicly of imitating The Original Car Shoe’s design through Tod's signature gommino loafer.

In 2023, luxury handbag company Tribe of Two filed a lawsuit against Tod's for trademark violation concerning its "double-T" logo, claiming it was confusingly similar to Tribe of Two’s registered trademark; Della Valle had aimed for a logo-based "T" reminiscent of Louis Vuitton’s LV or Gucci’s GG but was alleged to have infringed upon Tribe of Two’s design rights.

In 2024, Della Valle was defeated in a tax dispute with French authorities related to the acquisition of Roger Vivier, involving dubious accounting practices and accusations of personal enrichment by the family at the expense of other shareholders. From 2003 until 2015, Roger Vivier was under ownership by the Della Valles through holding companies while Tod's paid €52 million in royalties to the family despite objections from minority shareholders.

Calciopoli scandal and legal repercussions

In 2002, Della Valle took ownership of the Tuscan football team ACF Fiorentina. His tenure became overshadowed by the Calciopoli match-fixing controversy, in which he was directly implicated. Fiorentina was initially set for relegation to Serie B but ultimately received a 30-point deduction during the 2005–06 Serie A season, concluding in sixth place rather than third.

Throughout the judicial proceedings linked to Calciopoli, Della Valle was found guilty of sports-related fraud. Prosecutors requested a five-year incarceration and a lifetime ban from sports administration. In November 2011, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Subsequent appeals were denied in December 2013, confirming the verdict; however, he avoided imprisonment as the statute of limitations expired during the appeals process. Additionally, he faced a suspension from sports management lasting three years and nine months.

Following these developments, Della Valle divested his stake in ACF Fiorentina, which was later purchased by Rocco Commisso. In February 2022, he was mandated to compensate the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio with over €200,000 for legal expenses incurred due to the scandal.

Allegations of bribery involving Mandelson

In 2006, The Daily Mail alleged that Della Valle had offered EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson complimentary yacht vacations and extravagant dining experiences while Mandelson enacted tariffs on Chinese footwear that favored Della Valle's interests. The timing of these events sparked widespread speculation of corrupt conduct within British media outlets.

Corporate governance roles

• Maserati, Board of Directors member
• Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, Board of Directors member
• Assicurazioni Generali, Board of Directors member (until 2012)
• Ferrari, Board of Directors member (until 2012)
• LVMH, Board of Directors member (since 2002)

Involvement in non-profit sectors

• General Confederation of Italian Industry, Executive Committee member (until 2006)

Honors and distinctions

• 1996: Awarded Order of Merit for Labour
• 2024: Granted honorary citizenship by Arquata del Tronto
• 2025: Named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Political stance

In 1993, Della Valle initially supported and financially contributed to Silvio Berlusconi’s populist coalition known as the Pole of Freedoms, but withdrew shortly thereafter due to ideological disagreements. He identifies as politically moderate and has criticized Berlusconi for imposing heavy taxes on large corporations while neglecting smaller Italian enterprises. Berlusconi responded with threats of defamation lawsuits. Della Valle maintains close relationships with centrist figure Clemente Mastella.

Prior to the 2013 elections, he financially endorsed Mario Monti's campaign. In 2015, he registered the emblem “Noi italiani [We Italians]” with Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development for political party-related purposes.

Personal background

Della Valle is married to architect Barbara Pistilli, his third spouse. Previously, he was wed to her elder sister Simona; they share a son, resulting in his sons being both half-siblings and cousins. He also has a child with journalist Barbara Parodi Delfino.

His primary residence is in Sant'Elpidio a Mare at Villa Palombarone, which spans 370 acres. Additional homes include locations in Milan, Paris, New York, La Gorce Island, and a 12-acre estate on Capri.

In 2023, Italy's Consiglio di Stato upheld an order from Anacapri dating back to 2012 requiring Della Valle to cease unauthorized expansions at his Capri property—specifically a wellness centre and enlarged solarium—and to restore the site to its former state. The court rejected his legal arguments as unfounded.

In 2005, he acquired a 52-foot mahogany Marlin yacht previously owned by John F. Kennedy at a Christie’s auction. His transportation assets include a helicopter (initially an Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, later replaced by an AgustaWestland AW139) and a private jet (formerly a Dassault Falcon 2000, now a Gulfstream G550).