Mario Moretti Polegato Net Worth
Mario Moretti Polegato Net Worth: Mario Moretti Polegato is an Italian businessman with a net worth of $2.4 billion. Thanks to his active involvement in the shoe industry, he gained a place in the circle of billionaires. In fact, he made his fortune as the founder and chairman of the Geox Group, known for its use of waterproof/breathable fabrics.
In 1995, Polegato patented his “breathable shoe” technology and founded the shoemaker Geox. Over the years the company has grown from strength to strength and today it offers a wide range of products ranging from men’s, women’s and children’s footwear to all kinds of clothing. Today, the company distributes to high-end retailers and has numerous company-operated stores in large markets. However, it was unable to avoid the impact of a weak European economy, with Geox’s net sales falling 9 percent to $913 million (€702 million) in the first nine months of 2012. However, by the end of 2012, the company had expanded by opening new stores in Moscow, Hong Kong and three mainland China. The father of the breathing shoe, Mario Moretti Polegato was awarded the Ernst Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002 and again the following year by Ernst and Young as the Best Entrepreneur in Italy. He received another honor in 2010 when CNBC and the Financial Times selected him as the European Business Leaders Award (Ebla) in the “Innovator of the Year” category.
