Edoardo Agnelli

Edoardo Agnelli (2 January 1892 – 14 July 1935) was an Italian entrepreneur and industrialist. He was the principal family shareholder of the Italian car company Fiat S.p.A., as well as chairman of Juventus from 1923 until his death in 1935.

Early life Born in Verona, he was the only son of Giovanni Agnelli (1866–1945), principal founder of Fiat, and Clara Boselli (1869–1946). He married Donna Virginia Bourbon del Monte (1899–1945), daughter of Carlo Bourbon del Monte, Prince of San Faustino, and his Kentucky-born wife Jane Allen Campbell.

Family Agnelli and his wife had seven children: Clara (1920–2016), wife of Prince Tassilo zu Fürstenberg, mother of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg Gianni (1921–2003) Susanna (1922–2009), wife of Count Urbano Rattazzi Maria Sole (1925–2025) Cristiana (1927–2026), wife of Count Brandolino Brandolini d'Adda Giorgio (1929–1965) Umberto (1934–2004)

Agnelli's eldest son, Gianni, served as the head of Fiat from 1966 to 2003. He transformed the company into the most important in Italy and one of the major car builders in Europe. Agnelli's daughter Susanna was the first woman to become Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the 21st century, his grandson Andrea Agnelli became chairman of Juventus.

Sports

Agnelli was elected by the then assemblea di soci (membership assembly) as president of Italian association football club Juventus on 24 July 1923. This was a turning point, as it coincided with the switch from amateur to professional football, which became, in the words of historian Aldo Agosti, "an indicator of the deepest transformations that take place in society, imposed from above by a mass system that the fascist regime tries to create." According to Agosti, "Juve, never truly aligned with the regime, at the time perhaps embodied a certain reactionary respectability, but showed intolerance of the showy, even vulgar displays of fascism, intercepted the change and laid the foundations for a solid club, up to today's Juve", which faced the European football changes. Agnelli said: "I am grateful to you for welcoming my presidency as an honour, but I hope I will not disappoint you if I confess that I have no intention of considering it merely honorary. We must commit ourselves to doing well, but remembering that something done well can always be done better."