Silvio Berlusconi's Media Attack Gianni Agnelli's Image Amid Inheritance Feud

Revered Fiat tycoon accused of tax evasion and womanising He was the man who ran the Fiat empire for three decades, dated Rita Hayworth and was hailed as Italy's "last true gentleman" when 100,000 turned out for his funeral in 2003. But a bitter inheritance battle between Gianni Agnelli's descendants ? often described as Italy's answer to the Kennedy dynasty ? has sparked a series of allegations that now risk ruining the patriach's reputation. An unseemly shouting match began when Margherita Agnelli, the industrialist's 53-year-old daughter, claimed that Agnelli spirited up to ?2bn (?1.7bn) of his wealth abroad. The allegation has prompted a tax evasion probe, a family feud and ? perhaps worst of all ? attracted the attention of the rightwing Italian press, which has grabbed the opportunity to distract attention from the... [read full story]                    

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