Aldo Hugo Sallustro, CEO of Panini Group, one of the largest publishers of comics, stickers and trading cards in the world, died Monday at 75, according to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
Sallustro was at the helm of Panini for more than 30 years, overseeing the company’s evolution into an international collectible behemoth, including its expansion into the United States market with Panini America, which once held the trading card rights to the NFL and NBA.
He became the owner of Panini in 2016, along with sisters Anna and Teresa Baroni, according Il Messaggero, which wrote he was still intimately involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.
Il Messaggero also reported Panini generated more than $1.7 billion in revenue last year, more than triple its earnings in 2017.
Sallustro was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1949. According to another Italian publication, Gazzetta di Modena, Sallustro owned 26% of the company.
In recent years, Fanatics has taken a growing share of the collectibles market, including the acquisition of trading card manufacturer Topps and exclusive licenses to make NFL and NBA trading cards.
Panini sued Fanatics over alleged monopolistic practices in 2023. Fanatics then countersued for unfair competition.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.