Luxury world bids farewell to Francesco Trapani

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A recent image of Francesco Trapani Credits: from the press office of Francesco Trapani

Francesco Trapani passed away yesterday evening at his home in Rome. The 68-year-old entrepreneur and manager, a descendant of the Bulgari family, led the maison, founded in 1884, as chief executive officer for three decades. The maison became one of the major global players in the luxury sector, present in jewellery, watches, fragrances, leather goods and prestige hospitality.

Bvlgari listed on the Italian stock exchange in 1995

Under Trapani's leadership from 1984, the brand began its diversification process and accelerated the internationalisation of its activities. In July 1995, Trapani led Bulgari to list on the Borsa Italiana, where it remained until 2011, when the brand became part of the French group LVMH (LVMH).

After completing the integration of Bulgari into LVMH, Trapani found new professional challenges with significant roles at Clessidra, Bluebell Capital Partners, Tiffany, Tages Group and Vam Investments.

Trapani is survived by his four children: Rebecca, Agostino, Vittoria and Allegra.

The funeral will take place in Rome at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 12pm GMT.

Trapani joined the family business in 1981

Francesco Trapani was born in Rome in 1957, the son of the renowned surgeon Agostino Trapani and Lia Bulgari, the eldest sister of Gianni, Paolo and Nicola, sons of Giorgio Bulgari. This made Francesco the grandson of Sotirio Bulgari, a goldsmith of Greek origin and founder of the famous jewellery house, Bulgari. After graduating in Business Administration from the University of Naples, Trapani attended Business Administration courses at New York University. He joined the family business in 1981, working with his maternal uncles as assistant to the chief financial officer. Three years later, in 1984, at just 27 years old, he became chief executive officer.

Under his leadership, the company experienced three decades of constant growth. This was the result of a successful long-term strategy based on a highly professional organisational structure, product diversification (watches, perfumes, accessories), distribution expansion and robust investments in communication aimed at consolidating the brand's fame.

In order to accelerate international expansion, in 1995 Trapani successfully led Bulgari's listing on the Borsa Italiana, with the Bulgari family remaining the controlling shareholder. At the same time, other activities were undertaken to strengthen the brand's global reputation, such as the creation of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture with Marriott International / Ritz-Carlton.

Thanks to these initiatives, what in 1984 was a jewellery company with a turnover of around 25 million euros, five shops and 80 employees became the Bulgari Group. It was one of the main global players in the luxury market, with a product portfolio ranging from jewellery to watches, accessories, perfumes and hotels, and a turnover of around 1.5 billion euros, 4,000 employees and 300 stores worldwide.

Again under Trapani's direction, in 2011 Bulgari joined forces with LVMH. At the time of the transaction, the company was valued at 4.3 billion euros. Trapani remained chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH's watches and jewellery division for the three years following the acquisition to successfully complete Bulgari's integration into LVMH. He subsequently took on the role of senior advisor to Bernard Arnault and member of LVMH's board of directors until 2016.

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Francesco Trapani

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