Massimo Moratti

Massimo Moratti
Born	(1945-05-16) May 16, 1945 Near Verona, Italy
Occupation(s)	Businessman, industrialist
Years active	1962–present
Known for	Former chairman of Inter Milan, CEO of Saras Group
Notable work	Chairman of Internazionale (1995–2013), Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations

Massimo Moratti (born 16 May 1945) is an Italian billionaire known for his ventures in the petroleum industry, as well as for his former ownership of Inter Milan. He currently serves as chairman of the Saras Group, an enterprise established in 1962 by his father, the industrialist Angelo Moratti. Saras operates the Sarroch refinery located in Sardinia, recognized as one of Europe's six major refining hubs, with a processing capability of 300,000 barrels daily, accounting for roughly 15% of Italy's total refining output. To promote energy self-sufficiency, Saras has diversified into electricity generation and renewable energy sectors, particularly wind power, through its subsidiaries Sarlux and Sardeolica—the latter managed via Eolici Ulassai.

Moratti held the position of chairman at Internazionale from 1995 until 2013, during which he invested an estimated €1.5 billion of his own capital into acquiring players. He gained prominence for bringing high-profile football stars to the club, including the signing of Ronaldo in 1997.

After stepping down, he was named Inter's honorary chairman and appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations. In recognition of his contributions to football, Moratti was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Life and career

Moratti is the fourth son of industrial magnate Angelo Moratti, who presided over Football Club Internazionale Milano during its celebrated "Golden Age" from 1955 to 1968. Born near Verona, Massimo completed a master's degree in political science at the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli. His sister-in-law, Letizia Moratti, served as Mayor of Milan between 2006 and 2011.

Following his father's passing, Moratti inherited shares in Saras Group, a petroleum refining firm where he now acts as CEO. He also controls Sarlux, headquartered in Cagliari, which specializes in generating electricity from waste oil.

He is married to Emilia Moratti (née Bossi), an environmental advocate; together they have five children. In 2009, Moratti received an appointment as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.

In May 2011, he publicly endorsed Giuliano Pisapia’s successful mayoral campaign in Milan, opposing his sister-in-law Letizia Moratti. This political rivalry reflected broader tensions with A.C. Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, extending beyond sports into politics.

As of April 2020, Forbes ranked him 1513th among global billionaires, estimating his net worth at $1.4 billion.

Chairman of Inter

Moratti assumed leadership of Inter in 1995 amid a phase marked by underperformance. Throughout his eighteen-year tenure, the club secured five consecutive Serie A championships (2006–2010), four Coppa Italia titles, four Supercoppa Italiana trophies, the prestigious 2010 UEFA Champions League, the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 1998 UEFA Cup. The club’s achievements during the 2009–2010 season included becoming the first Italian team to complete the Treble.

His personal investment in player acquisitions totaled roughly €1.5 billion, which included landmark signings such as Ronaldo in 1997 and a then-world-record €48 million transfer for Christian Vieri in 1999. Other notable players brought to Inter under his leadership were Roberto Carlos, Hernán Crespo, Adriano, Maicon, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Samuel Eto'o.

Despite success on the pitch, Moratti often faced criticism for frequent managerial changes; within two seasons alone he replaced four head coaches including Rafael Benítez and Claudio Ranieri. Only Roberto Mancini and José Mourinho enjoyed extended tenures that yielded trophies during his chairmanship. Other managers with shorter spells included Roy Hodgson, Marcello Lippi, and Héctor Cúper.

Following Ranieri’s departure, Giovanni Battista Lanfranchi—Inter’s chief scout for thirteen years—was succeeded by Valentino Angeloni.

In November 2013, International Sports Capital acquired a majority stake (70%) in Inter; Indonesian entrepreneur Erick Thohir became chairman while Moratti retained an honorary chairman role.

By June 2016, Moratti’s holding company Internazionale Holding S.r.l. sold its shares to Thohir’s Nusantara Sports Ventures for €60 million; these were subsequently transferred to Zhang Jindong’s Suning Holdings Group. As of 2018, Moratti’s wife Milly remained part of Inter’s advisory board; however, Massimo Moratti no longer held the honorary chairman title. Other members of the family continued to serve on boards related to Inter’s subsidiary Inter Futura.

External links

• Saras: Massimo Moratti