Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio
Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 1953 Rome, Italy |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Former Executive Chairman of Silversea Cruises; Executive Chairman of Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group |
Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio (born 30 April 1953) is an Italian billionaire entrepreneur and former Executive Chairman of Silversea Cruises, a company established by his father. In June 2018, he divested two-thirds of Silversea to Royal Caribbean for approximately US$1 billion, while maintaining ownership of the remaining one-third. He currently holds the position of Executive Chairman at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, which encompasses Abercrombie & Kent, Crystal Cruises, Ecoventura Galapagos, and Cox & Kings. As of August 2023, his net worth was valued at around US$1.6 billion.
Biography
Raised in Rome as one of four siblings within an Italian family, Lefebvre d'Ovidio is the son of Antonio Lefebvre d'Ovidio, a legal scholar and jurist, and Eugenia Beck. He became involved in the family enterprises from an early age and assumed the role of chairman at Silversea Cruises in 2001.
Career
Leveraging his father’s expertise in maritime law and industrial ventures, the family expanded into shipping and cruise operations. In 1988, they purchased Sitmar Cruises and subsequently merged it with P&O’s Princess Cruises in 1989. Silversea Cruises was launched in 1994 with two custom-built ships, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind. Under Lefebvre d’Ovidio’s guidance, the fleet grew to four ships by 2001.
By 2017, Silversea had a global presence with nine vessels operating across all seven continents and garnered numerous accolades from prominent travel magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.
Until June 2018, Lefebvre d’Ovidio retained full ownership of Silversea before selling a two-thirds share to Royal Caribbean for about US$1 billion. Following the acquisition, he resigned as chairman but kept a 2.5% ownership interest in Royal Caribbean.
In 2021, he spearheaded executive buyouts in Arqit Quantum, a quantum cryptography company listed on NASDAQ. The Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, owned by his family, acquired Crystal Cruises along with its ocean vessels Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in June 2022. This transaction also included Cox & Kings and Ecoventura Galapagos. Moreover, the Lefebvre family's Heritage Group has invested in various companies including Bucksense Inc (holding a 75% stake), New Cleo, Avatera, Quintessential Beverages, TT, V Dyne, Arqit, and Habitas.
Personal life
He lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco—the headquarters location for Silversea Cruises. Lefebvre d’Ovidio is divorced and has one daughter named Costanza.
Cruise industry advocacy
As chairman of the European Cruise Council (ECC) starting in 2010, Lefebvre d’Ovidio was instrumental in consolidating the European cruise sector. He oversaw its integration with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), where he served on the board until 2013. He continues to be a member of CLIA’s Global board and chairs CLIA Europe. Additionally, he advocates for global tourism development as vice chairman for Europe at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and participates as a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Reports also associate him with ownership interests in Crystal Cruises’ vessels.