The son of a farmer, Pellegrini worked as an accountant in the early 1960s for the bicycle manufacturing company Bianchi, earning L50,000 per month.[1] In 1964, he was promoted to chief accountant, but instead, he asked for more work within the company, becoming the manager of the canteen.[2] Here, he started his ascendancy in the catering industry, and in 1965 he founded the Organizzazione Mense Pellegrini following the realisation that the Italian economic miracle was facilitating the expansion of the Italian food industry, thanks to Italian population's more disposable income and new food habits.[2] In 1975, his company changed its status to Pellegrini S.p.A.,[2][3] which over time expanded to include services such as meal tickets, corporate, health, and school catering services, sanitation and industrial cleaning services, and welfare services in Italy.[2][3][4]
In 2019, Pellegrini S.p.A. made €600 million profit and employed circa 6,500 people.[5]
Chairman of Inter Milan
In 1979, Pellegrini wrote a letter to the Inter's chairman Ivanoe Fraizzoli, asking to be allowed to contribute financially to the club. As a result, he was admitted as a member of the board.[2][6] Pellegrini purchased Inter from Ivanoe Fraizzoli in 1984, becoming the club's 17th chairman.[2][7]
