Ernesto Bertarelli

Ernesto Bertarelli
Born	Ernesto Silvio Maurizio Bertarelli 22 9, 1965
Birthplace	Rome, Italy
Nationality	Swiss, Italian
Occupation	Chairman, B-Flexion; Co-Chair, Bertarelli Foundation
Known for	Serono, Alinghi, America's Cup, B-Flexion, Bertarelli Foundation
Children	3

Ernesto Silvio Maurizio Bertarelli (born 22 September 1965) is an Italian-born Swiss billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as the former chief executive of Serono, one of the world's largest biotechnology companies, which he inherited following his father's death in 1998 and subsequently sold in 2007. Outside the corporate world, Bertarelli gained international prominence as the driving force behind Alinghi, the Swiss sailing syndicate that won the America's Cup in 2003 — the first time a landlocked country had ever claimed yachting's most prestigious trophy — and successfully defended it in 2007. As chairman of B-Flexion, the family's private investment office, and co-chair of the Bertarelli Foundation, he oversees a diversified portfolio of business interests and philanthropic activities. With his sister Dona Bertarelli, the Bertarelli family is considered one of the wealthiest in Switzerland, with an estimated fortune that has been reported at approximately $20.2 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Early Life

Ernesto Silvio Maurizio Bertarelli was born on 22 September 1965 in Rome, Italy. He was born into the Bertarelli family, which had deep roots in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. His father, Fabio Bertarelli, led the Serono pharmaceutical group, a company that traced its origins to the Istituto Farmacologico Serono, an Italian pharmaceutical institute founded in Rome in 1906. The company had grown from a modest Italian laboratory into a significant international biotechnology enterprise under the elder Bertarelli's stewardship.

Ernesto grew up with an awareness of the family business and its centrality to the Bertarelli fortune. His sister, Dona Bertarelli, would later become his principal business partner and co-manager of the family's wealth and philanthropic endeavours. The family's base eventually shifted from Italy to Switzerland, where Serono was headquartered in Geneva, and Ernesto would come to adopt Swiss citizenship, becoming one of the country's most prominent business figures.

Details of Bertarelli's childhood and upbringing in Rome are not extensively documented in public sources, but his trajectory from an early age was shaped by the expectation that he would eventually assume leadership of the family's biotechnology empire. His later educational choices — attending institutions in the United States with strong business and entrepreneurial curricula — reflected this preparation for corporate leadership.

Education

Bertarelli pursued his higher education in the United States. He attended Babson College, a private business school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, known for its focus on entrepreneurship and business management. He subsequently enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). His education at two of America's leading business institutions equipped him with the management and strategic skills that he would bring to bear on the transformation and eventual sale of Serono. Harvard Business School, in particular, remained an institution with which Bertarelli maintained a connection over the years, reflecting the lasting influence of his time there on his approach to business and investment.

Career

Serono

Bertarelli's career is inextricably linked to Serono, the biotechnology company that was the foundation of the family's wealth. Following the death of his father Fabio Bertarelli in 1998, Ernesto inherited leadership of the company. At the time, Serono was already a significant player in the global biotech sector, with a portfolio of products focused on reproductive health, neurology, and endocrinology.

Under Ernesto Bertarelli's leadership as chief executive officer, Serono continued to grow, driven in particular by the commercial success of its flagship products. Among the most notable was Rebif, a treatment for multiple sclerosis that became one of the leading drugs in its therapeutic category. Bertarelli guided the company through a period of expansion, building Serono into one of the world's three largest biotechnology firms, with its headquarters based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The defining transaction of Bertarelli's tenure at Serono came in 2006–2007, when the company was acquired by the German pharmaceutical giant Merck KGaA. The sale of Serono to Merck, which created the entity known as Merck Serono, was one of the largest deals in European biotech history and generated billions of dollars for the Bertarelli family. The proceeds from this transaction formed the core of the family fortune that Bertarelli and his sister Dona would subsequently manage through their private investment vehicles.

The aftermath of the Serono acquisition had lasting implications for Geneva. In 2012, Merck KGaA announced the closure of the Merck Serono site in Geneva, a decision that resulted in significant job losses in the region. Bertarelli subsequently became involved in efforts to repurpose the former Serono campus in Geneva. Along with Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss, Bertarelli submitted a project to Merck for the redevelopment of the Geneva site, which was ultimately selected. The site was transformed into Campus Biotech, a research hub focused on neuroscience and other life sciences, which became home to initiatives including elements of the Swiss neuroscience research community. Bertarelli also purchased the former Merck Serono building in Geneva as part of this redevelopment effort.

B-Flexion and Investment Activities

Following the sale of Serono, Bertarelli channelled the family's wealth into a diversified investment portfolio managed through B-Flexion (formerly known as Kedge Capital), the family's private multi-strategy investment office. As chairman of B-Flexion, Bertarelli oversees investments spanning multiple asset classes and sectors, including technology, life sciences, and financial services.

In 2025, one of the investment vehicles associated with Bertarelli attracted attention when Capital Four, a Copenhagen-based credit manager backed by a vehicle tied to Bertarelli, drew interest from multiple financial firms including Eurazeo and Nordic Capital, who reportedly explored a potential acquisition or investment. This episode illustrated the scope and significance of the Bertarelli family's investment activities in the European financial landscape.

Sailing and the America's Cup

Bertarelli's involvement in competitive sailing, and particularly the America's Cup, represents one of the most prominent aspects of his public profile. A sailor himself, Bertarelli founded the Alinghi syndicate, based at the Société Nautique de Genève, which became the first team from a landlocked country to win the America's Cup.

2003 America's Cup

In 2003, Alinghi challenged for the America's Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport. Under Bertarelli's leadership and with a team assembled from top international sailing talent, Alinghi defeated the defending champion Team New Zealand in the final match, winning the 31st America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. The victory was historic: it was the first time a Swiss team — or indeed any team from a nation without a coastline — had won the trophy. Bertarelli served as a member of the crew during the campaign, participating as a helmsman and tactician at various stages. The achievement brought significant attention to Switzerland as a sailing nation and to Bertarelli personally.

In recognition of the cultural and sporting significance of the victory, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi bestowed an honour upon Bertarelli.

2007 Defence

As the holder of the America's Cup, Alinghi defended the trophy in 2007 in Valencia, Spain, during the 32nd America's Cup. Bertarelli's team successfully repelled the challenge, retaining the Cup and cementing Alinghi's status as one of the premier syndicates in modern Cup history. The 2007 event marked the first time the America's Cup was held in a European venue (Valencia), a decision made by the defender — in this case, Alinghi and the Société Nautique de Genève.

33rd America's Cup and Aftermath

The period following the 2007 defence was marked by protracted legal disputes between Alinghi and the American challenger BMW Oracle Racing, led by technology billionaire Larry Ellison. The controversy over the terms of the next defence resulted in a series of court battles that defined the 33rd America's Cup cycle. When the racing eventually took place in February 2010, it was contested in massive multihull yachts — a dramatic departure from the traditional monohull format. USA 17, the trimaran sailed by BMW Oracle Racing, defeated Alinghi's catamaran in a best-of-three match, winning the 33rd America's Cup.

Despite the loss of the Cup, Bertarelli remained active in the sailing world. Alinghi continued to compete in other events, including the Extreme Sailing Series, where the team defended its title in 2017.

Continued Involvement

In more recent years, Bertarelli has continued his engagement with the America's Cup through the Tudor Alinghi Red Bull Racing syndicate, which entered the competition under a renewed partnership. In a 2025 interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, Bertarelli reflected on the evolution of the America's Cup, describing the modern partnership model as "a quantum leap for sailing." He also expressed his admiration for rival teams, stating that he would like to see Luna Rossa win, reflecting the collegial yet competitive spirit of the Cup community.

Personal Life

Bertarelli was previously married to Kirsty Bertarelli (née Roper), a British former beauty queen, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist. Kirsty Roper had won the title of Miss United Kingdom in 1988 before marrying Ernesto. The couple had three children together. During their marriage, the Bertarellis were frequently featured in the Sunday Times Rich List, where they were listed among the wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The 2017 edition of the Sunday Times Rich List estimated the family's wealth at £11.5 billion, an increase of £1.72 billion from the previous year.

Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli divorced in 2021. Kirsty reportedly received a settlement of approximately $454 million (£350 million).

Bertarelli's sister, Dona Bertarelli, is his close business partner and co-manages the family's investment and philanthropic activities. Dona Bertarelli has also been prominent in sailing and ocean conservation in her own right.

Bertarelli holds both Italian and Swiss citizenship and has been based in Switzerland for much of his adult life, with residences associated with Geneva and other locations.

Philanthropy

Bertarelli Foundation

Bertarelli serves as co-chair of the Bertarelli Foundation, alongside his sister Dona. The foundation has been active in several areas, with a particular focus on marine science, ocean conservation, and neuroscience.

One of the foundation's notable initiatives has been its involvement in marine conservation. In 2010, Bertarelli's efforts in this area gained attention when he was involved in the preservation of a marine reserve, an action described in The Independent as a billionaire saving a marine reserve from development plans.

In the field of neuroscience, the Bertarelli Foundation has supported research at leading institutions. The foundation's involvement in the creation of Campus Biotech in Geneva — the repurposed former Merck Serono site — represented a significant commitment to advancing brain research and neurotechnology in Switzerland. The foundation has also supported research at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), including initiatives connected to the Blue Brain Project, a large-scale neuroscience research effort.

Recognition

Bertarelli has received honours and recognition both for his business achievements and his sporting accomplishments. Following Alinghi's victory in the 2003 America's Cup, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi recognized Bertarelli with an official honour, reflecting the significance of the achievement for an Italian-born sportsman.

His repeated appearances on wealth rankings, including the Sunday Times Rich List and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, have made him one of the most recognized business figures in Switzerland. Swiss magazine Bilanz has estimated the family fortune at CHF 13.5 billion, further establishing the Bertarelli family's position among the wealthiest in Europe.

In the sailing world, Bertarelli's legacy is defined by the back-to-back America's Cup campaigns of 2003 and 2007, which placed Switzerland — a nation without a maritime tradition — at the pinnacle of international yacht racing. His continued involvement in the sport through the Extreme Sailing Series and the renewed America's Cup campaigns has maintained his profile as one of the most significant figures in modern competitive sailing.

Legacy

Ernesto Bertarelli's legacy spans three distinct domains: biotechnology, competitive sailing, and philanthropy. In the biotechnology sector, his stewardship of Serono and the subsequent transformation of the former Serono campus into Campus Biotech demonstrated an ability to create lasting value beyond the immediate financial returns of a corporate transaction. The conversion of the Geneva site into a neuroscience research hub has provided a new institutional anchor for Swiss life sciences research and preserved a connection to the biotech heritage that Serono represented.

In sailing, the 2003 America's Cup victory remains one of the most unusual achievements in the history of the sport. Bringing the oldest trophy in international sport to a landlocked nation challenged fundamental assumptions about which countries could compete at the highest levels of yacht racing. The 2007 defence reinforced this achievement and established Alinghi as one of the most successful syndicates in modern Cup history.

Through the Bertarelli Foundation, Ernesto and Dona Bertarelli have directed substantial resources toward marine conservation and neuroscience, areas that reflect both the family's business heritage in life sciences and Ernesto's personal connection to the sea through sailing. The foundation's work in establishing and supporting marine protected areas and in funding brain research represents a philanthropic commitment that extends the Bertarelli name beyond commerce and sport.

As of the mid-2020s, Bertarelli continues to be active across all three domains — managing the family's investments through B-Flexion, participating in America's Cup campaigns through the Tudor Alinghi Red Bull Racing partnership, and directing philanthropic efforts through the Bertarelli Foundation.