Stefano Pessina Net Worth

Stefano Pessina has an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Stefano Pessina profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $12.4 billion.

Stefano Pessina is a businessman tied to the drugstore industry. He trained as a nuclear engineer, then worked in academia and at ACNielsen in Milan before moving into pharmaceutical distribution. In 1977, he took over his family’s wholesaler in Naples and built it into a larger business through mergers. Over time, that company became Alliance Santé, then Alliance UniChem, putting him at the center of a growing pharmacy and wholesale network.

His wealth comes from building and combining pharmacy businesses across Europe and later the United States. In 1997, his wholesaler merged with UniChem Group, and in 2006 it combined with Boots Group. In 2007, Alliance Boots was taken private in a reported $22 billion deal with KKR. Between 2012 and 2014, Walgreens bought 100% of that chain, creating Walgreens Boots Alliance, where Pessina later served as executive chairman.

How Stefano Pessina built his fortune

Pessina made his name in pharmaceutical wholesaling and retail pharmacy. After taking over the family business in 1977, he expanded beyond Italy and helped create a Franco-Italian wholesale group. That business became Alliance Santé and later Alliance UniChem after a 1997 merger. He then helped drive the 2006 combination with Boots Group, giving him a major role in a much larger pharmacy company with wholesale and retail operations.

The next big money step came when Alliance Boots was taken private in 2007 in a reported $22 billion deal with KKR. Between 2012 and 2014, Walgreens bought 100% of the pharmacy chain, creating Walgreens Boots Alliance. Pessina became a leading figure there and remained closely tied to the company. In 2025, Sycamore Partners acquired Walgreens Boots Alliance for nearly $10 billion, and Pessina stayed a substantial shareholder after it went private.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has tracked Pessina’s fortune as his main company changed shape. It put his wealth at $12.4 billion in 2019, then $6.9 billion in 2024 and $6 billion in 2025. Those estimates followed years when Walgreens Boots Alliance moved from a public company to a private one. His fortune is still tied to the drugstore business because he remained a substantial shareholder after the 2025 buyout.

As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker put Pessina at $6.3 billion. That came after Forbes also placed him at $6.3 billion on its 2026 World's Billionaires List. The recent estimate reflects his stake after Walgreens Boots Alliance was acquired by Sycamore Partners and delisted from the Nasdaq. His long career shows a clear pattern: grow a wholesaler, merge it into bigger groups, and hold on as the business evolves.