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Michele Ferrero

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Michele Ferrero was a famous businessman from Italy. He grew a small family shop into a giant company. His family made sweets and chocolates. This company was called Ferrero SpA. By the time he died, it was the second largest sweet company in Europe.

He changed how people ate chocolate. He worked with a man named Francesco Rivella. They wanted to make a new kind of spread. They added vegetable oil to a traditional paste called gianduja. This new mix became the famous Nutella. This step helped the company find great success.

Michele was born on 26 April 1925. His parents were Pietro Ferrero and Piera Cillario. He grew up in a place called Dogliani. His father started the first bakery and café in Alba. Michele joined the family business in 1949. He spent many years growing the brand.

His business made many treats that people know today. These include Kinder Chocolate and Kinder Eggs. He also made Ferrero Rocher and Mon Chéri. Other brands include Tic Tacs. In March 2008, he was the richest person in Italy. He had $26 billion. In May 2014, he was the 20th richest person in the world.

Ferrero was a very religious Catholic man. He visited the Lourdes shrine every year. He put a statue of the Madonna in every office and factory. He believed his success came from his faith. He had two sons named Giovanni and Pietro Jr. Michele died on 14 February 2015. He was 89 years old. He passed away at his home in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

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