In this success post, we are going to share the story of Ernesto Bertarelli is an Italian born Swiss Businessman, sports enthusiast, and philanthropist, who is among the richest person in the world.
His family wealth is estimated to be $13 billion. He was the CEO of Serono before it was sold to Merck. He is now the co-chairman of Bertarelli Foundation, the chairman of the Waypoint Capital group.
Ernesto Bertarelli Childhood & Early Life
Ernesto Bertarelli was born on 22nd September 1965 in Rome, Italy, to Fabio Bertarelli and Maria Iris. He is the eldest child of his parents and has a sister named Dona.
His grandfather, Pietro Bertarelli, was with Serono since it was established back in 1906 in Italy and became its MD in 1935. The pharmaceutical company rose to prosperity with its groundbreaking breakthroughs in infertility treatments in the year 1960s.
A young Ernesto discovered his love for sailing after relocating near Geneva Lake. His new hobby would eventually become his passion, as he would take part in Yacht competitions in the future.
He learned tools of the trade from his father, accompanying him on business trips since the age of 10.
Ernesto Bertarelli Career
Ernesto Bertarelli started his career with Serono in the year 1985, holding several positions in the sales and marketing departments of the company. He served as the deputy CEO for five years before succeeding his father as the CEO of Serono in 1996.
In 2000, he oversaw the listing of the company shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Serono was sold to Merck KGaA of Germany in early 2007 for $15 billion, following which it became Merck Serono. Both Ernesto and his sister got an estimated $6 billion from the deal.
He is the chairman of the Waypoint Capital Group, which focuses primarily on healthcare-focused investment fund through Gurnet Point Capital and asset management via the Kedge Capital group. While it is headquartered in Geneva, Waypoint has offices in Boston, Jersey, Luxembourg, and London.
In the year 2013, along with the Swiss Billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, EPFL, and the University of Geneva, he bought the former Merck Serono site in Geneva to form Campus Biotech, which hosts research institutes and biotechnology companies.
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