- Edoardo Agnelli
Edoardo Agnelli (9 June 1954 – 5 November 2000) was an
Italian-American entrepreneur, the son of the industrialist patriarch ofFiat ,Gianni Agnelli , who died in controversial circumstances.Life
Agnelli was born in
New York . After studying atAtlantic College , he read modern literature and oriental philosophy atPrinceton University ,cite news |title=Fiat chief's son dies in viaduct plunge |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2000/11/16/wfiat16.xml |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=2001-06-19 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ] where he was given the nickname "Crazy Eddie" for his wild behaviour.cite news |title=THE CHILDREN OF THE RICH & FAMOUS |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1990/09/10/73985/index.htm |work=CNN |date=1990-09-10 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ] After leaving Princeton he travelled inIndia , pursuing his interest in oriental religion andmysticism , andIran , where he metAyatollah Khamenei and was reported to have converted toIslam . [cite news |title=The curse of inheritance: Do wealthy dynasties always make for happy heirs? |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/features/article2783545.ece |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=2007-07-19 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ]As an adult Agnelli claimed to be the heir apparent to the Fiat empire, but his father, who had already been unhappy with Edoardo's timidity when he was a child, ensured that he would not inherit it. The only official position which the younger Agnelli held in the family businesses was as a director of
Juventus football club, [cite news |title=Fiat family's search for an heir. |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67303377.html |work=Sunday Business |date=2000-11-26 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ] in which capacity he was present at theHeysel disaster . [cite book |title=Soccer and Disaster |last=Darby |first=Paul |coauthors=Johnes, Martin; Mello, Gavin |year=2005 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0714653527 |pages=p. 82 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lPLd5wGuRqgC&pg=PA82&dq=%22Edoardo+Agnelli%22&num=100&sig=LbqswZVUvxknmzzSWsx3bdrvAUc#PPA82,M1 ]In 1990 Agnelli was charged in
Kenya with possession of 7 ounces ofheroin , to which he pleaded innocent. [cite news |title=TYCOON'S SON PLEADS |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PG&p_theme=pg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADE72FDB3BCFC8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |work=Post-Gazette |date=1990-09-23 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ]Death
In November 2000 Agnelli's body was found on a river bed beneath a
motorway viaduct , on which his car was found abandoned. The viaduct is known as the "bridge of suicides". [cite news |title=Milestones |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998610,00.html |work=Time |date=2000-11-27 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ]The death was considered by Italian investigators to have been suicide, but there is a theory in
Iran that his death was orchestrated byIsrael i agents to ensure that the Fiat empire did not fall into Edoardo Agnelli's hands. [cite news |title=Iranians hold candlelit vigil for late Fiat heir |url=http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=37789&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs |work=IranMania |date=2005-11-16 |accessdate=2008-04-04 ]References
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