Who is Filippo Ghirelli? Italian entrepreneur made ‘lion’s share’ of his $1.5 billion fortune after investing in India

Filippo Ghirelli, a Monaco-based Italian businessman, built a large part of his billion-dollar empire investing in India, Forbes reported. According to the outlet, he initially made a small fortune in Italy and North Africa but lost it all in Egypt. Undeterred, he later returned to Italy and founded a firm that works to reduce energy costs for large corporations. However, His net worth increased to an estimated $1.5 billion after he closed a deal in India in 2023. He invested and picked a 25% stake in India’s second-largest oil refinery, Nayara Energy. Singapore-based Trafigura and Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft first bought the refinery in 2017.Italian entrepreneur Filippo Ghirelli. (LinkedIn/Filippo Ghirelli)Ghirelli first expressed interest in Trafigura’s stake in 2020, but the deal was delayed and finally announced in 2023. He bought Trafigura’s stake for $169 million. According to the outlet, the stake is estimated to be at least $1.1 billion, net of debt.“We’ve seen the value of the business grow exponentially,” Ghirelli told Forbes. “It’s a financial investment that’s been particularly fortunate.”What is Filippo Ghirelli’s net worth?According to Forbes, Filippo Ghirelli’s net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion. The Italian businessman, now based in Monaco, has investments in real estate, energy, and infrastructure.Filippo Ghirelli’s education:He has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Rome and a Master of Business Adminration from LUISS Business School.He completed his degree in civil engineering at the Università degli Studi di Roma. He then pursued a master’s in seismic engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Luiss Business School. He also completed an executive programme from Harvard Business School.