Agnelli Inheritance, Crucial Hearing for John Elkann's Indictment

Today, September 11, 2026, the Court of Turin is holding a decisive hearing to evaluate the indictment of John Elkann, chairman of Stellantis, along with accountant Gianluca Ferrero and notary Remo Morone. The request for indictment concerns the crimes of tax fraud and forgery of public documents within the complex matter of the Agnelli inheritance. Simultaneously, Margherita Agnelli, daughter of founder Gianni Agnelli, has requested to join the criminal proceedings as a civil party, advancing a claim for 1.3 million euros in compensation for moral damages.

However, the decision by Judge Eugenia Giani could be postponed once again, as already happened last June. Elkann's lawyers have filed detailed written objections, describing the request for private compensation in an investigation focused on alleged tax evasion as "anomalous." The outcome of the hearing could pave the way for a trial that would directly involve a member of the Agnelli-Elkann dynasty, with potential repercussions for the stability of the family company "Dicembre," at the helm of the Exor empire.

The story has its roots in the succession of Marella Caracciolo, widow of Gianni Agnelli, who died in 2019. The conflict erupted between her daughter Margherita Agnelli and her three children (John, Lapo, and Ginevra Elkann) over the management of the inheritance and control of the company "Dicembre," which in turn controls the giant Exor (the reference shareholder of Stellantis, Ferrari, and others). The triggering cause dates back to 2004, when Marella Caracciolo transferred the bare ownership of 41.29% of Dicembre to her three grandchildren. Margherita disputes the regularity of that operation, claiming she was excluded.

The criminal investigation by the Turin Prosecutor's Office focuses on two aspects: the alleged false Swiss residency of Marella Caracciolo (on which the Elkanns have already paid 183 million to the tax authorities) and the formal regularity of the notarial deeds from 2004, particularly for possible irregularities or the hypothesis of a disguised donation. If the judge were to identify substantial irregularities, the very architecture of the family's control could be called into question. The legal war is being fought on multiple fronts: in addition to the criminal proceedings in Turin, there are civil lawsuits in Italy and abroad (in Geneva and Switzerland) to confirm or annul the 2004 agreements and Marella's wills.