Fiat heir marries

The heir to the Agnelli dynasty, John Elkann, married today in an intimate ceremony on an Italian island followed by a sumptuous reception.

Elkann, 28, is the vice chairman at Fiat and the man being groomed to take over the Turin-based car giant. He was appointed to the board of directors at the age of 22.

Elkann married Lavinia Borromeo, a 26-year-old Italian aristocrat, in a small chapel on a tiny island in Lake Maggiore that has been owned by the bride’s family for centuries. About 60 relatives and close friends were invited.

Borromeo was dressed in white Valentino. Elkann’s flamboyant younger brother, Lapo, who also works at Fiat, was the best man.

Elkann and Borromeo have kept a low profile and have often shied away from the public eye. But their wedding reception was a lavish affair.

About 700 guests flocked to the manicured gardens of another Borromeo-owned island on the lake for the reception tonight.

The guest list included Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, supermodel singer Carla Bruni, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, Fiat head and longtime Agnellis’ friend Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, and Maria Gabriella di Savoia, daughter of the last king of Italy.

Elkann is the son of Margherita, daughter of the late Fiat chairman Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli, and her former husband, writer Alain Elkann.

Born in New York, Elkann studied engineering in Turin and was sent to work anonymously on a Fiat assembly line in Poland, a Fiat dealership in France and a headlights factory owned by Fiat in England.