Who is Andrea Pignataro, the Italian billionaire investing in The Ellinikon
The name of Italian billionaire Andrea Pignataro has been in the spotlight following his collaboration with LAMDA Development and his entry into The Ellinikon project. But who is the powerful entrepreneur behind ION Group?
- 09/09/2025, 14:29
Andrea Pignataro’s name has been making headlines in recent days due to his strategic partnership with LAMDA Development. The Italian billionaire, founder and head of ION Group, acquired 2% of the company’s share capital, as well as land within The Ellinikon, where he plans to create an International Research and Innovation Center, designed to house some 2,000 professionals from 44 countries.
According to the information released, the center will cover a maximum permitted built-up area of 250,000 square meters, including around 50,000 square meters of office space, a 1,000-seat auditorium for events, and 200,000 square meters of residences to house the group’s professionals and partners. The acquisition of the land amounts to €450 million by ION Group, owned by Andrea Pignataro, as part of a total investment budget of €1.5 billion.
Who is Andrea Pignataro
The Italian businessman is the founder and CEO of ION Group, one of the leading financial data and technology companies headquartered in London. Pignataro began his career as a bond trader—buying and selling bonds—at the now-defunct New York investment bank Salomon Brothers. In 1998, he founded ION Group, which today is a global player with a strong presence in international markets.
In 2023, the group held net assets worth $27 billion, while its portfolio includes top companies such as financial transaction platform Dealogic and trading software group Fidessa. ION Group’s activities are structured around five key pillars: markets, analytics, core banking, corporates, and credit information. Beyond his business role, Pignataro has also invested in luxury hospitality, maintaining villas and hotel complexes on the island of Canouan in Saint Vincent and elsewhere.
His recent partnership with LAMDA Development confirms his strategy of investing in projects that combine technology and real estate, with an emphasis on research, innovation, and development infrastructure. As early as last March, there were rumors that he was planning a €2 billion investment to create a technology center in Anavyssos, in collaboration with world-renowned architect Renzo Piano.
However, this is not the first time he has shown interest in investing in Greece. In 2022, the investment arm of ION Group submitted an official bid to acquire 27% of Piraeus Bank.
One of the world’s richest people with a fortune of $36.8 billion
According to Forbes, he is one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, with a net worth of $36.8 billion, ranking 54th on the list.
He was born in June 1970 in Bologna, Italy. He studied at the University of Bologna and later at Imperial College London before beginning his career as a bond trader at Salomon Brothers in 1994.
During his time at Salomon Brothers, he collaborated with the Italian software company List Holding, based in Pisa, contributing to the creation of a joint venture that laid the foundations for the birth of ION Trading UK and subsequently ION Group. By the early 2000s, he was fully dedicated to developing the company, which provided innovative software for trading, regulatory compliance, and corporate cash-flow management.
Successive acquisitions and the rise of ION Group
The aggressive strategy of successive acquisitions, which he pursued in the 2010s, turned ION Group into a global leader in financial services and technology in this sector. Among its most significant moves were the acquisition of Fidessa, a leading provider of trading software for equities, and Dealogic, a well-known financial analytics platform. Since 2005, the group has completed more than a dozen acquisitions, rapidly expanding its presence.
In 2023, ION Group was the target of a cyberattack that disrupted part of its operations, affecting a significant number of its clients in the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, its growth was not hindered, as in 2024 the Bank of Italy approved the acquisition of Prelios by ION, a company specializing in alternative investment management and integrated real estate services.
Today, Pignataro lives in Switzerland, according to UK company registry records, while ION Group continues to compete with giants such as the American financial services and software company Bloomberg, providing solutions for transaction management and electronic market connectivity.