World's top entrepreneur is 77-years-old

A 77-year-old man has struck a blow against ageism by being voted the world's best entrepreneur.

Paolo della Porta, the president and chief executive of Italian company SAES Getters, has shown that whizz kids don't have a monopoly on workplace dynamism.

He has been named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year in the inaugural awards ceremony in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Mr della Porta has headed SAES Getters for 50 years.

His most famous invention is the 'getter', a little metallic object that is used in the production of cathode ray tubes found in televisions and computer monitors.

Just as 'widgets' prolong the life of canned lager, getters increases the life of cathode ray tubes one hundred fold.

Mr della Porta's company supplies approximately 85% of the worldwide market. The group had revenues of £105.58m in 2000.

The judging was conducted by an independent panel of eight entrepreneurs and business people from across the world.

John Wall, Chairman of Ernst & Young's World Entrepreneur Of The Year Judging Panel says: "In a dramatically changing market place, Paolo della Porta stands as a role model to entrepreneurs around the world for his ability to grow a small local firm into a true multinational company with global impact.

"His sustained command of an accelerating technological environment for more than half a century greatly impressed the panel of judges."

Twenty two of the world's top entrepreneurs from 19 countries were vying for the award.