Nutella creators died 10 yrs apart to the day, were devoted to Mary

Francesco Rivella, a key chemist for Ferrero (the company that makes Nutella, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Kinder Eggs, and Tic Tacs, among other things) died this past Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, at the age of 97. He passed away exactly ten years after Michele Ferrero, who died at the age of 89 on February 14, 2015.

Ferrero transformed his father’s small bakery (founded in 1946) into a worldwide brand, with Rivella at his side as his “right-hand man,” Il Messaggero and TGCOM24 report. Rivella is attributed with perfecting the creamy hazelnut paste, and with inventing its name (according to La Repubblica), along with many other products.

Michelle Ferrero became the richest person in Italy, with a net worth, according to Forbes magazine, of $23.4 billion.

The US embassy to the Holy See notes that the original success of Nutella was due to cocoa being scarce after World War II.

What many people don’t know about Ferrero, who avoided the spotlight and the tabloids, is that he was a man endowed with a strong faith.

As Michele Ferrero said at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the company, “The success of Ferrero we owe to Our Lady of Lourdes; without her we can do little.” And indeed, a small statue of the Virgin is present in each of the Ferrero establishments worldwide.

Each year Ferrero went on pilgrimage to Lourdes, taking his top managers. He also organized a visit to the French shrine for his employees. According to The Guardian UK newspaper, which published profile of him in 2011, the company’s Rocher pralines are rumored to have been inspired by the craggy rock grotto, called the Rocher de Massabielle, at the shrine in Lourdes.

He built his empire out of what was best in Italy, leaving behind a legacy of quality products and remarkable innovation. But his greatest talent was knowing how to involve employees and show special attention to employees when training them.

“My only concern,” he once said, “is that the company is increasingly solid and strong to guarantee all workers a secure place.

Under his leadership, his products were available in 53 countries. He had more than 34,000 employees, 20 production facilities, and nine agricultural enterprises.

Read more:The Catholic reason hazelnuts are called filberts

Read more:How Ferrero Rocher chocolates were inspired by the Virgin Mary