Europe's richest families driving mega M&A deals

London

JOHN Elkann, the leader of Italy's billionaire Agnelli family, has a way of preparing his relatives for a big takeover battle that you won't see at your everyday company.

In June, he gathered two branches of the prominent Italian family - owners of Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler- at the renowned Juventus stadium in Turin for a friendly game of soccer, cheered on by dozens of relatives. The next day, at the annual meeting of the family's holding company, Mr Elkann explained why he was pursuing a deal that would shift the business empire from cars to finance, the clan's most transformative deal in over a century.