Ferrari chairman sentenced to community service
Ferrari chairman and co-owner John Elkann will spend a year performing community service — from assisting in a nursing home to working as a cleaner or janitor. The decision was made by the Turin prosecutor’s office following an investigation into the inheritance of his grandmother, Marella Caracciolo, the widow of Gianni Agnelli, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to Italy’s Adnkronos agency, the investigation revealed an attempt by the family to avoid paying taxes on an inheritance valued at around €1 billion. As a result, John Elkann, together with his brother Lapo and sister Ginevra, paid approximately €183 million to the Italian tax authorities, fully settling the debt, including fines and interest. Prosecutors requested the closure of proceedings against Lapo and Ginevra, while John will serve one year of community service.
The case also involves accountant Gianluca Ferrero and notaries Robert Urs von Gruningen and Remo Morone. Prosecutors backed an agreed penalty for Ferrero, while Morone received formal notification of the conclusion of the investigation.
Elkann’s lawyers emphasized that agreeing to messa alla prova (community service with probation) does not constitute an admission of guilt and should allow the family to “close a painful chapter” without further consequences.
Meanwhile, representatives of Margherita Agnelli — Gianni Agnelli’s daughter — said the investigation confirmed “serious violations” that could affect civil proceedings in Italy and Switzerland and alter the ownership structure of the Dicembre holding.
John Elkann is the grandson of Gianni Agnelli, the industrialist who transformed Fiat into one of Europe’s leading carmakers. Through their holding company Exor, the Agnelli-Elkann family remains the largest shareholder in Ferrari, controls automotive giant Stellantis and football club Juventus, and holds stakes in several other international companies. In Italy, the family’s economic influence is often described as extending across “a significant part of the country.”
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan is planning to introduce an AI-powered service mechanism to support taxpayers.