| Naam: | Augusto Perfetti |
| Vermogen: | $3.3 billion |
| Bron van rijkdom: | Perfetti Van Melle |
| Geboren: | 11 augustus 1946 |
| Leeftijd: | |
| Land: | Italië / Zwitserland |
| Vrouw: | Onbekend |
| Kinderen: | Onbekend |
| Residentie: | Lugano, Zwitserland |
| Prive jet: | Cessna-citaat (M-NTOS) |
| Jacht | Air |
Augusto Perfetti is an Italian billionaire businessman and co-owner of Perfetti Van Melle, one of the world’s largest confectionery and chewing gum companies. Born in Italy in August 1946, he owns the company together with his broer Giorgio Perfetti.
The Perfetti family fortune was built on candy, chewing gum, mints, lollipops, and global confectionery brands. Augusto Perfetti is considered one of Italy’s richest businessmen, although he has long kept a low public profile and is reported to live in Switzerland.
Perfetti Van Melle traces its roots to the Perfetti family business founded in Italy in 1946 by Ambrogio Perfetti en Egidio Perfetti. The company became known for introducing chewing gum to the Italian market and later expanded into candy, mints, lollipops, and global confectionery brands.
The modern Perfetti Van Melle group was created in 2001, when Perfetti acquired Dutch confectionery company Van Melle. Van Melle brought famous brands such as Mento's en Fruittella into the group. The deal transformed the Italian family business into a major international confectionery company.
Today, Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum. The group sells products in more than 155 countries, operates 44 companies, has 34 production locations, employs around 18,000 full-time employees, and reported more than €4 billion in net revenue sales for 2025.
Perfetti Van Melle owns some of the best-known candy and chewing gum brands in the world. Its global portfolio includes Mento's, Chupa Chups, Airheads, Fruittella, Alpenliebe, Smint, Big Babol, Happydent, Frisk, Golia, and many regional brands.
Mento's is one of the company’s most famous products, sold worldwide as mints, chewy dragees, and chewing gum. Airheads is especially popular in North America and is known for its fruit-flavored taffy-style candy.
The company’s strength lies in combining global brands with local flavors and regional market knowledge. This has allowed Perfetti Van Melle to maintain a strong presence in Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and emerging markets.
In 2006, Perfetti Van Melle acquired the Spanish confectionery company Chupa Chups. The brand was founded in 1958 by Spanish entrepreneur Enric Bernat and became one of the most recognizable lollipop brands in the world.
The name “Chupa Chups” comes from the Spanish verb chupar, meaning “to suck” or “to lick.” The brand is also famous for its colorful logo, which was designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in 1969.
Chupa Chups lollipops are sold worldwide in many flavors, including fruit, cola, chocolate, and creamy varieties. The acquisition gave Perfetti Van Melle one of the most iconic names in confectionery.
In 2023, Perfetti Van Melle completed the acquisition of Mondelēz International’s gum business in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This deal expanded the company’s chewing gum portfolio with major brands such as Drietand, Dentyne, Bubblicious, Chiclets, and other regional gum brands in selected markets.
The acquisition strengthened Perfetti Van Melle’s position in the global gum category and added several well-known North American and European gum brands to a portfolio already built around Mentos, Chupa Chups, Airheads, and Fruittella.
Augusto Perfetti’s vermogen has been estimated in the multi-billion-dollar range for many years. Forbes listed his real-time net worth at around $3.3 billion in April 2026.
Older estimates often combined the wealth of Augusto and Giorgio Perfetti and placed the brothers’ combined fortune higher. Because Perfetti Van Melle is privately held, exact ownership values are difficult to calculate, and estimates can change depending on exchange rates, company performance, and valuation methods.
Augusto’s brother, Giorgio Perfetti, is his business partner and co-owner of Perfetti Van Melle. Like Augusto, Giorgio keeps a low public profile despite being one of Italy’s richest individuals.
Giorgio Perfetti has been linked to luxury homes and classic cars, including a rare Ferrari 250 GTO. He has also been associated with yacht ownership and a residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
Together, the Perfetti brothers remain behind one of the most successful privately held confectionery groups in the world.
Augusto Perfetti is widely linked to the Feadship superjacht AIR. The yacht was built in the Netherlands by Feadship and is known for her distinctive matte black exterior, modern design, large decks, and luxury interior.
De naam AIR is often connected to Perfetti Van Melle’s Air Action chewing gum brand. The yacht is one of the best-known Feadship yachts and has become closely associated with the Perfetti family’s fortune in candy and chewing gum.
AIR is often described as one of the most recognizable modern superyachts because of her dark hull, elegant profile, and high-end design.
Augusto Perfetti’s net worth is estimated at around $3.3 billion, according to recent Forbes real-time billionaire data. Older sources sometimes listed a higher combined fortune for Augusto and Giorgio Perfetti together.
Perfetti Van Melle is privately owned by the Perfetti family. Augusto Perfetti and his brother Giorgio Perfetti are the best-known owners of the group.
Perfetti Van Melle owns brands including Mento's, Chupa Chups, Airheads, Fruittella, Alpenliebe, Smint, Big Babol, Happydent, Frisk, and several gum brands acquired from Mondelēz, including Drietand, Dentyne, en Bubblicious in selected markets.
Het Feadship jacht AIR is widely linked to Italian billionaire Augusto Perfetti. The yacht’s name is often associated with Perfetti Van Melle’s Air Action chewing gum brand.
Augusto Perfetti is one of Italy’s most successful private businessmen. Together with his brother Giorgio, he helped build Perfetti Van Melle into a global confectionery powerhouse behind brands such as Mentos, Chupa Chups, Airheads, Fruittella, Trident, Dentyne, and Bubblicious.
Although he keeps a very private lifestyle, Augusto Perfetti remains closely associated with one of the world’s largest candy and chewing gum fortunes. His reported ownership of the superjacht AIR adds to his profile within the global superjacht gemeenschap.
perfettivanmelle.com – at a glance
perfettivanmelle.com – history
perfettivanmelle.com – Mondelēz gum acquisition
forbes.com/profile/augusto-perfetti
forbes.com/profile/giorgio-perfetti
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Perfetti woont in een relatief eenvoudig (voor een miljardair) huis Lugano Zwitserland. Het huis beschikt over een ondergrondse parkeergarage, een zwembad en een tennisbaan. Perfetti's broer Giorgio woont in Florida.
Perfetti is eigenaar van een Cessna-Citation 525, met registratie M-NTOS. De registratie is een duidelijke verwijzing naar hun succesvolle snoepje. Het vliegtuig is gebouwd in 2015.
Rick Hendrick jachtwielen
SuperYachtFan Jachteigenaren Database Q3-26
