No. 43Switzerland
Gianluigi Aponte
Shipping · Geneva
Net worth
$43.9B
Today
+$422K+0.00%Past month
−$3.0B−6.47%As of Nov 11, 2026, 1:50 PM EST
Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela each own a 50% stake in MSC, the world's largest shipping line. Gianluigi first met Rafaela on a trip to the Italian island of Capri in the 1960s, when he was a ship captain. They entered the shipping industry together in 1970, when they purchased a ship with a $200,000 loan. MSC also operates in holiday cruises (MSC Cruises), inland logistics (Medlog) and port operations (Terminal Investment Limited.) Gianluigi is MSC's executive chairman; Rafaela is responsible for decorating ships for MSC Cruises and their son, Diego, is MSC's president.
Net worth over time
−6.47%−$3.0B over the past month
$47B$45B$44B
Oct 12Nov 11
Principal holdings
2 positions| Company | Industry | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Private and other holdings | Logistics | 99.6% | $43.8B |
Log-In Logistica SAO PAULO: LOGN3-BR | Logistics | 0.4% | $161M |
Also known for
- The second ship that the Apontes bought was named after Rafaela.
- In December 2022, MSC bought Bolloré Africa Logistics, the African transport and logistics arm of the Bolloré Group, for $6 billion.