The billionaire who gave the world Nutella and Kinder eggs has died

Life is like a box of chocolates...

This statement was especially true of Michele Ferrero, who died on Saturday. Mr Ferrero, whose global chocolate empire made him the world’s richest confectioner and Italy’s richest man, died aged 89 following a lengthy illness. The billionaire was responsible for the worldwide success of the chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella.

So, he’s the man to blame for all my exorbitant dental bills?

Mr Ferrero tweaked the formula, concocted by his father Pietro, and turned it into his company’s best-known brand, selling 365,000 tons of the stuff a year. Nutella, born out of a post-war shortage of cocoa and an Italian abundance of hazelnuts, now accounts for anything up to a quarter of the planet’s entire hazelnut crop.

What other sugary treats was he responsible for?

The privately owned firm introduced Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Kinder eggs and Tic Tac sweets. The £8bn Ferrero empire is the world’s fourth largest confectioner, with 22,000 employees in 20 locations across the globe.

He sounds quite the Willy Wonka

The real-life candyman was similarly enigmatic. Mr Ferrero was rarely seen in public and gave very few interviews during his 58-year career.

More: The British scientists saving the world from running out of chocolate