Giorgio Armani, the Italian fashion designer and billionaire behind one of the world’s most famous brands, has died on September 4, 2025, at the age of 91. The Armani Group confirmed his passing on Instagram on Thursday.
Over the course of his career, Armani built a look that became a symbol of Italian style. He redefined men’s and women’s suits for a modern audience and brought a new level of sophistication to Hollywood red carpets. What began as a clothing label grew into a global business that included beauty, fragrance, sports, music, and even luxury hotels. The company today brings in more than £2 billion each year.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the brand wrote: “Milan, 4 September 2025 – With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani.”
The post described him as “Il Signor Armani,” the title employees and collaborators always used with respect. It added that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and continued to work on collections and projects until the very end.
The company also noted: “Giorgio Armani is a company with fifty years of history, built with emotion and patience. Giorgio Armani always made independence – of thought and action – his hallmark. The company is, now and always, a reflection of this spirit. His family and employees will carry the Group forward in respect and continuity of these values.”
The Armani Group also announced that a funeral chamber will be open to the public on September 6 and 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Armani/Teatro on Via Bergognone in Milan.
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Giorgio Armani’s Net Worth at His Death
At the time of his passing, Giorgio Armani’s net worth was estimated at $12.1 billion, according to Forbes. Over more than five decades, he became one of the world’s best-selling designers, famous for elevating the power suit and reshaping how men and women dressed.
Most of his wealth came from the Giorgio Armani brand, which he launched in 1975. He remained the company’s CEO and sole shareholder until the end of his life. The business, which began with fashion, eventually branched into fragrance, beauty, music, sports, and luxury hotels.
Away from the runway, Armani also built up other holdings. He purchased the Italian basketball team Olimpia Milano, invested in hotels and real estate, and even owned a 200-foot yacht.
Who Will Inherit His Wealth?
Armani never married and did not have children. Shortly before he passed, he spoke with the Financial Times about how the company should move forward. He explained that control of the Armani Group would gradually shift to the people closest to him.
“My plans for succession consist of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that I have always handled to those closest to me… such as Leo Dell’Orco, the members of my family and the entire working team,” Armani said in the interview.
Giorgio Armani’s Career and Legacy
Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy, and grew up during the difficult years of World War II with his brother Sergio and sister Rosanna. After finishing secondary school in Milan, he enrolled in medical studies at the University of Piacenza. But his time serving at a military hospital in Verona in 1953 led him to walk away from medicine and explore other opportunities.
He started out at La Rinascente, Milan’s landmark department store, where he worked in display and later in menswear. That experience opened the door to a design role with Nino Cerruti. Encouraged by his partner Sergio Galeotti, Armani also freelanced for several fashion houses until the two launched Giorgio Armani S.p.A. in 1975. Their first men’s and women’s collections introduced softer tailoring and muted tones, setting Armani apart from traditional designers of the era.
The turning point came in 1980 when his clothes appeared on American television and in the film American Gigolo, which helped establish Armani on the global stage. Hollywood quickly embraced his style, and he went on to design costumes for more than 100 films, including The Untouchables.
Throughout the 1980s, the label expanded into perfumes, accessories, and new lines such as Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, and Armani Junior. After Galeotti’s death in 1985, Armani continued the business on his own and later introduced Armani Exchange to reach a broader audience.
In the following decades, the Armani name grew worldwide with stores in Asia and the Middle East, along with new ventures in cosmetics, home furnishings, publishing, and luxury hotels like the Armani Hotel Dubai.
In 2008, he bought the Italian basketball team Olimpia Milano and soon after launched EA7, a sportswear line that later outfitted Italy’s Olympic athletes in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
