--- title: RIP to an eyewear legend - The Hustle description: Eyewear tycoon Leonardo Del Vecchio passed away at the age of 87. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/632926566-HS-News-Brief_2022-06-27T234128.965Z.webp --- # RIP to an eyewear legend ![Rob Litterst](https://thehustle.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Rob-Litterst-pic.png?width=48&height=48&name=Rob-Litterst-pic.png) [Rob Litterst](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/rob-litterst) [Rob Litterst Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/robbylit) Published: June 28, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 In the world of sunglasses, there is one company that rules them all: Luxottica. ![RIP to an eyewear legend](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/632926566-HS-News-Brief_2022-06-27T234128.965Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=632926566-HS-News-Brief_2022-06-27T234128.965Z.webp) While you may not be familiar with that name, you’re likely familiar with its subsidiaries like Oakley, Ray-Ban, and Sunglass Hut. #### **Luxottica has humble beginnings** It was founded by Leonardo Del Vecchio as a workshop that made parts for other eyewear makers in 1961. The company eventually started producing its own glasses, and expanded its [empire](https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/06/27/italian-billionaire-and-eyewear-mogul-leonardo-del-vecchio-dies-at-87/?sh=28e5997b15d7) through a series of sharp business moves, per *Forbes*: - **In 1988,** Luxottica signed a licensing agreement with designer Giorgio Armani, which he says helped turn glasses into fashion accessories. - **From 1990 to 2001,** the company acquired Vogue Eyewear, Persol, Ray-Ban, and Sunglass Hut. - **In 2018,** Luxottica merged with Essilor, a french manufacturer of optic lenses, to create an eyewear behemoth. As you might expect, these moves were lucrative for the company and its founder. #### **Del Vecchio was born in 1935…** … to an impoverished family in Milan and raised in an orphanage. He passed away yesterday at age 87 as the proprietor of a **~$25B** fortune. When asked the secret to his success, Del Vecchio [replied](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-27/leonardo-del-vecchio-billionaire-owner-of-ray-ban-dies-at-87?srnd=premium-uk&sref=3Ac2yX40), “I’ve always strived to be the best at everything I do — that’s it.” Topics: [Celebrity](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/celebrity) [Clothing](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/clothing) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Your childhood sneakers are keeping Adidas afloat](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1051165463-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Samba_20230906212732.webp) ### Your childhood sneakers are keeping Adidas afloat - ![This company is really into T-shirts](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/689903747-httpsmedia.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesOlder20DatesApril20102c202023tshirts-buckmason.webp) ### This company is really into T-shirts - ![A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1897903693-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-croc-tarts_20230814231514.webp) ### A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers - ![Using AI for the perfect fit](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/211713850-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-truetoform_20230807230535.webp) ### Using AI for the perfect fit - ![Nike looks to clear some hurdles and hit its stride](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/76411467-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Nike_20230711001823.webp) ### Nike looks to clear some hurdles and hit its stride - ![How do we not know who Satoshi Nakamoto is?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/254575623-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-satoshi_20230705231801.webp) ### How do we not know who Satoshi Nakamoto is? - ![Why cage fight when you could paintball?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/775880710-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-paintball_20230622224438.webp) ### Why cage fight when you could paintball? - ![Fake drama, real money on reality TV](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/148231346-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Bravolebrities_20230607222743.webp) ### Fake drama, real money on reality TV - ![Who runs the world? 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