NOVEMBER 17, 2000

Tragedy strikes Agnelli Family

GIANNI AGNELLI, the boss of Fiat and one of the Ferrari Formula 1's biggest supporters, is in mourning this week following the death of his son, 46-year-old Edoardo Agnelli, who was found hanging beneath a motorway bridge near Turin, Italy. The Italian authorities have ruled out any suspicious circumstances.

Edoardo never worked for the Fiat empire and stayed out of the limelight. He was a student of Oriental literature and philosophy and made frequent visits to India to study mysticism.

His death comes only three years after his cousin Giovanni Alberto - who had been lined up to succeed Gianni Agnelli as head of Fiat - died of stomach cancer at the age of 33.