Ferrero vs Schwarzman

Ferrero Group and Blackstone.

The differences

Forbes puts Giovanni Ferrero about $3.2B ahead of Stephen Schwarzman.Forbes figures from 12 Sep 2026 and 9 Sep 2026.
Giovanni Ferrero: inherited and grew it. Stephen Schwarzman: co-founded it.
Stephen Schwarzman is about 17 years older than Giovanni Ferrero.
Stephen Schwarzman has signed the Giving Pledge; Giovanni Ferrero has not.
Giovanni Ferrero is from Italy; Stephen Schwarzman is from United States.

Put someone else on either side

Ferrero

Schwarzman

Net worth, Forbes: $48BForbes, 12 Sep 2026; $44.8BForbes, 9 Sep 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $57BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $44.5BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 40Real-Time list, 12 Sep 2026; No. 47Real-Time list, 9 Sep 2026
Billionaire since: 2018Forbes: first joined its World's Billionaires list in 2018, at $23 billion; 2007On the Forbes World's Billionaires list in 2007 with $3.5 billion

How it started: Inherited and grew itForbes: he inherited the family candy business, became its sole leader in 2015 and expanded it through acquisitions (Nestlé's US confectionery in 2018, WK Kellogg in 2025); Co-founded itCo-founded Blackstone in 1985 with Peter Peterson
Main source: Ferrero Group (Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac)Forbes source of wealth: 'Nutella, chocolates'; BlackstoneBloomberg names Blackstone (BX) stock as his biggest asset
Companies: Ferrero GroupFerrero Group: President of Ferrero Group and of Ferrero International S.A. (executive chairman); BlackstoneBlackstone: Chairman, CEO and co-founder
Biggest stake: Ferrero Group100% owned; Blackstone19% owned

Born: 1964Turin, Italy; 14 Feb 1947Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Country: ItalyLives in Brussels, Belgium; United StatesLives in New York, New York, United States
Education: Not statedStudied marketing at Lebanon Valley College (1980); honorary master's from the University of Parma (2015) and honorary doctorate from Lebanon Valley College (2022); Graduate degreeBA, Yale University; MBA, Harvard Business School
Parents: His father Michele Ferrero led the family confectionery company and created Nutella; his mother Maria Franca Ferrero chairs the Italian Ferrero Foundation; His father owned a dry-goods store in Philadelphia, one of the family's stores going back to his great-grandfather

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Signed in 2020
Foundation: Piera, Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero Foundation (Fondazione Ferrero)The family's foundation, chaired by his mother; not described as his personal giving vehicle; Stephen A. Schwarzman FoundationDescribed as the primary vehicle for his giving
Lifetime giving: Not stated; $1BStephen A. Schwarzman Foundation, 22 Dec 2025. 'Over $1 billion in his lifetime so far', per his foundation; Forbes estimated more than $600 million in December 2020

Role now: Runs the companyPresident (executive chairman) of Ferrero Group; Runs the companyChairman and CEO of Blackstone
Successor: None namedLapo Civiletti became the first non-family CEO in 2017 and in 2026 moved to president of Ferrero Ice Cream and WK Kellogg Co; Alessandro Nervegna is CEO of Ferrero Core. No other family member holds an executive role in the cited materials; None namedJonathan Gray is president and chief operating officer and a board member; no family members in executive roles
Public office: None found; Chairman of the President's Strategic and Policy Forum2016-2017
Legal record: None found; None found