Diego Della Valle has an estimated net worth of $1.55 billion that he earned as the President and CEO of the Italian leather goods company, Tod’s. It is a luxury Italian shoe- and purse-maker that he founded in 1978. The sales in China and Hong Kong have grown to nearly 14% in 2011 and were up 7% in the first nine months of 2012. It amounted to $990 million (750 million Euros). Along with his brother Andrea who is also a billionaire, Diego owns a 56% stake in the company. The rise in the share price has added more than $300 million to his net worth since March 2012. Together with his brother, Della Valle also owns stakes in the U.S. retailer Saks and eyewear company Marcolin. As of March 2013, he is #965 in The Forbes Billionaires List and #20 in Italy.

Born on December 30, 1953 in Sant'Elpidio a Mare, Italy, he is the older son of Dorino and grandson of Filippo Della Valle. Filippo started his shoemaking business in the 1920s that Dieo expanded to the now famous Tod’s brand. He studied Law in the University of Bologna but abandoned the career to be part of the marketing of the family’s shoemaking business. He turned to celebrities to popularize his product. He persuaded his friend Luca di Montezemolo, who was a protégé of Gianni Agnelli, to present Agnelli with a pair of Tod’s driving moccasins. He got the FIAT boss to wear the shoes when he attended Juventus football matches that were widely televised. This prompted a rise in sales of the product.

Della Valle once publicly attacked Silvio Berlusconi for the over-taxing of big business and his failure to support smaller Italian business. Berlusconi, on the other hand, wanted to sue Della Valle of defamation. Diego now sits on the board of a number of companies including Ferrari, Maserati, Banca Nacionales del Lavoro and LVHM. In 2002, he bought the Tuscan football club, ACF Fiorentina.