Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone Net Worth

Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone has an estimated net worth of $11.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2.5 billion in 2019.

Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone is an Italian businessman who leads Caltagirone, a holding company active in construction, cement, real estate, finance and publishing. An engineer by training, he earned his degree while working in the family business. He expanded that base well beyond construction and real estate, turning it into a broader group with interests across several industries. Forbes places him in Construction & Engineering and says he is self-made.

His rise came through a series of deals that widened the group’s reach. In 1984, he took over Vianini Lavori and became its president. In 1992, he acquired Cementir. After buying several newspapers, he built Caltagirone Editore in 1999, which Forbes says became Italy’s sixth largest newspaper publisher. The biggest part of his wealth now comes from stakes in Assicurazioni Generali and Cementir, with newer bank investments adding another piece.

How Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone makes money

Caltagirone’s fortune comes from a mix of old-line industry and large financial holdings. He is president of Caltagirone, a holding company with businesses in construction, cement, real estate, finance and publishing. That structure grew out of a family business in construction and property, which he expanded into new sectors over time. His background as an engineer also fits the industrial side of the group, especially its construction and cement operations.

Several moves shaped that portfolio. He took over Vianini Lavori in 1984 and bought Cementir in 1992. In publishing, he assembled newspaper assets and built Caltagirone Editore in 1999. Forbes says the bulk of his wealth now comes from stakes in two publicly traded companies, insurer Assicurazioni Generali and cement producer Cementir. In 2024 and 2025, he also joined the Del Vecchio family in building a major position in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

What Forbes says about his fortune

Forbes has shown big swings and then a sharp climb in Caltagirone’s wealth. Its World’s Billionaires List estimated him at $2.5 billion in 2019, then $1.8 billion in 2020. The figure moved up to $3.4 billion in 2021 and $4.6 billion in 2024. By 2025, Forbes estimated $8.2 billion, reflecting how much larger the value of his listed holdings had become in that period.

The latest jump is even bigger. Forbes put him at $11.1 billion on the 2026 World’s Billionaires List, and its real-time tracker showed $11.7 billion as of October 20, 2026. Forbes notes that most of his wealth is tied to Assicurazioni Generali and Cementir, while his 2024 and 2025 bank investments added another important money story. In 2006, he also received the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro.