Gianluigi & Rafaela Aponte – Billionaire

Gianluigi Aponte met his wife Rafaela when he was a ferry ship captain; in 1970 they decided to launch their own cargo shipping venture, Mediterranean Shipping, now called MSC. Four decades later, MSC has become the world’s second largest container shipping company, with 480 vessels, just behind global leader Maersk. Aponte also runs the fourth largest cruise company, MSC Cruise, while Rafaela is in charge of designing the ships’ interiors. Both of their children are also involved in the daily management of the company. With his first few ships, he began running routes between Eastern Africa and Europe, eventually expanding into a global powerhouse. In 2013, MSC sold a 35% stake in Terminal Invest, a global port operator with 25 world trade ports, for $1.9 billion to investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners and other investors. Aponte was born in Sant’Agnello in Southern Italy but is now a Swiss citizen.