- When John Elkann lost his ally last year with the sudden death of Sergio Marchionne, some questioned whether the softly-spoken scion of the Agnelli clan would be able to emerge from his shadow to ensure Fiat Chrysler’s future.
- This involved a “very long night … and many grappas” but proved to be a turning point in the fortunes of the Italian company founded by Elkann’s great-great-grandfather Giovanni Agnelli.
- Marchionne then used GM’s money to fund a turnaround at Fiat.