The Real Life World’s Most Interesting Man: Gianluca Vacchi

I stumbled upon this character Gianluca Vacchi on social media a few years ago. An Italian industrialist playboy who owns the Bologna-based family conglomerate IMA, he is also a professional DJ and social media impresario. He has over 22.4 million followers on Instagram and 21+ million followers on Tiktok. Estimated to be worth between $200-500M usd, he is one of the few super rich guys who seem to be having legit fun in life. 

Found out he released a documentary called “Gianluca Vacchi: Mucho Mas” on Amazon Prime and it’s really fun to watch. We follow him on his adventures as he embarks on parenthood while living the glamorous and hedonistic lifestyle. 

There is something to be learned from him, even though it helps to have the wealth and resources like he does. One of the things he said was: “I’ve always tried to make my life interesting to myself, first of all. Then, obviously, like all the things you do out of passion, they may become interesting to others as well.”

While he inherited the foundations of his family business, he went into debt, buying out his relatives and building the business substantially, taking various businesses public. He 100Xed his inheritance and became a known financier and industrialist in Italy. IMA is considered one of top 5 best led family run businesses in the world. 

It was not all a smooth ride to the top. He suffered financial challenges along the way with the Parmalat scandal but he was tenacious and fought through it even though the Italian government confiscated his fortune at the time. Vacchi said: “I remember that….it was a nightmare. I struggled. I did, for sure. Life has its own weird balance. It gives back what it takes from you, and that is unavoidable. I woke up one morning and said, ‘I need to find the strength to fight this.’ And so I did.” He showed grit and 18 years later he was vindicated and fully cleared by court. 

Vacchi says: “Common people think that with money everything comes naturally. That is just a myth we need to go past, though. My current assets are 100 bigger than what my father had. I was a businessman and I became one of the most well known people in the world, which I also did not inherit from anyone. 

Probably, at 60 I won’t have the life I have now. Because I am open to reinventing myself again. Do you know why I won? Because I showed what kind of person I really am. I have legitimized the freedom to do whatever you want, whatever you wish to do. The freedom to do whatever the F–k you want.”  

He really does has fun. He also is unabashed about enjoying what he has: his private plane jet setting adventures to exotic places, the luxury homes and luxury handbags. Like most Italian men, he is so damn well dressed all the time with his tailored shirts. He is authentic to himself and doesn’t seem to care what others think. And is not afraid of looking silly. Boy, does he like to dance. His Insta’s have always brought a smile to my face. He dances, he skis, he sails and in the most beautiful places too. He even became a professional DJ at age 50. 

He is a family man. While he became a father at relatively older 54 years old, he jumped into parenthood with all the energy he had. He loves his daughter and it comes across. Like me, he grew up in a strict household which shaped him. 

He is disciplined and spends a lot of time and energy on health and wellness. Every morning, 2 hours in a hyperbaric chamber which helps increase growth hormones & stem cells as well as fighting bacteria. He follows this by time in a cryogenic chamber, below freezing temperature that helps with mood as well as muscle recovery, similar to an ice bath which he seems to do too.  Then a one hour workout with heavy weights in the gym. He does this everyday, religiously and it shows in his body and vigor. 

“Just as I built what I have by working my ass off, I’ve done the same to build my look, my body, by working my ass off. My life, more than a sin of vanity, is a constant search for the best psychophysical condition, and I live everyday thinking of that as well. After all, as I always say, your body is the only house you are forced to live in. All the other places you can choose.”

He lives a self sovereign life and is completely independent because he is financially independent. He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and with whoever he wants to. He splits his year, 6 months in Bologna, Italy, where he grew up and 6 months in Miami. Bear in mind this documentary was in 2021 and most of the world was still shut down from the cursed covid lockdowns, so Miami was one of the few still open and functioning cities in the world. 

No real point to all this. But it’s nice to see people like Gianluca out there. Successful, strong & fit and having the time of his life. Interesting as F–k. Maybe the lesson is to just be a bit more like Gianluca in life. Have a zest for life. 

In his words: “Enjoy ....because, at the end of the day, enjoy means play, have fun, sweat, dance, celebrate.”