Mario Moretti Polegato Net Worth

Mario Moretti Polegato has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Mario Moretti Polegato profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.6 billion in 2019.

Mario Moretti Polegato is an Italian entrepreneur who founded Geox, the shoe brand known for its patented breathable sole. He was born on August 16, 1952, in Crocetta del Montello, near Treviso, into a family active in farming and winemaking. Following family tradition, he studied oenology and worked for years in the family wine business.

He has received many honors. He was named a Knight of the National Order of Merit of Romania in 2000 and has served as Honorary Consul General of Romania for North-East Italy since 1997. In 2005 he was appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro, one of Italy's highest civilian honors, and in 2010 he won the European Business Leader Award for innovation.

He has also held roles across Italian business life. He has sat on the executive board of Confindustria since 2003 and joined the Regency Council of the Bank of Italy in 2014.

How Mario Moretti Polegato made his money

The idea for Geox came on a hot trip to Nevada, where his feet got so uncomfortable that he cut holes in his shoes. Back home, he developed a breathable shoe prototype in the mid-1990s with researchers at the University of Padua. He offered the technology to Nike and other footwear giants, but they were not interested, so he started his own company.

He founded Geox in 1995 and took it public on the Borsa Italiana in 2004 while still running the family wine label, Villa Sandi. Through LIR, the family finance company in Treviso, he controls Geox and the sports brand Diadora, which was taken over in 2009 and is led by his son Enrico.

His story is often told in Italy as a lesson in persistence. The big shoe companies turned down his invention, yet the brand he built around it became one of the best known names in comfortable footwear, and Geox has since used the same breathable idea in clothing.

How Forbes has valued Mario Moretti Polegato

Forbes valued Polegato at $1.6 billion in 2019 and $1.3 billion in 2020. His figure recovered to $1.6 billion in 2021 and $1.7 billion in 2022, then eased to $1.5 billion in 2023 and $1.4 billion in both 2024 and 2025.

On the 2026 World's Billionaires List Forbes put him at $1.9 billion, his highest figure in this period. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker showed $1.8 billion. His wealth combines stakes in Geox and Diadora with the family's wine business.