A recognition of the path of an entrepreneur who has made freedom of initiative a guiding principle, also supporting the dissemination of ideas and the growth of new generations of scholars over time.
The Bruno Leoni Prize 2026 was awarded to Tito Tettamanti, lawyer, entrepreneur, founder and Honorary President of the Fidinam Group. The award, awarded by the Bruno Leoni Institute, enhances his long-standing commitment to individual freedom, private initiative and the free market.
The award ceremony took place on Monday 9 November in Milan, on the occasion of the Institute's annual dinner.
The director of the Bruno Leoni Institute, Alberto Mingardi, illustrated the motivation behind the award, highlighting the clarity of his thought and the consistency with which Tettamanti supported the free market and the principles of freedom in the course of his professional and public activity. Mingardi then recalled how Tito Tettamanti accompanied his entrepreneurial activity with a constant participation in the public debate, through books, articles and speeches dedicated to the themes of the market economy, freedom and institutions. Particularly significant was also the memory of the role played by Tito Tettamanti in the very birth of the Bruno Leoni Institute, favoring the meeting between the philosopher Carlo Lottieri and two young graduates, Alberto Mingardi and Carlo Stagnaro, all united by the desire to promote and spread liberal ideas in Italy.
A figure capable of combining entrepreneurial experience and cultural reflection, always maintaining an independent and often unconventional gaze.
In his speech, Lawyer Tettamanti defined himself as "a businessman, not an intellectual", adding that he was a proud descendant of merchants.
A statement that summarizes a vision in which entrepreneurial initiative plays a central role: the ability to seize opportunities, take responsibility and transform ideas into concrete projects. A perspective gained through a career that has led him to operate in different countries and sectors, maintaining a strong focus on freedom of initiative.
With reference to the reasons for the award, and in particular to his support for the birth of the Bruno Leoni Institute, Tettamanti described it as one of the achievements of which he defines himself most proud. From that intuition, in fact, a project was born that over the years would become one of the most authoritative Italian think tanks on the issues of economic freedom and open society. About 150 young people have passed through the Institute, helping to build its prestige and then bringing their experience to the professional, academic and communication worlds.
Lawyer Tettamanti then recalled the fortunate meeting with Lottieri, Mingardi and Stagnaro, with whom he wanted to symbolically share the award, recognizing the decisive contribution that each has given to the growth of the Institute. A passage that highlights a conviction that has accompanied all his activity: the importance of investing above all in people.
Promoting economic culture, in fact, means creating the conditions to train talents and offer the new generations the tools to develop ideas and skills.
Among the most personal passages of the speech, L'Avvocato explained why, despite being Swiss, he has chosen to support initiatives in Italy over time. His answer was simple: "Out of gratitude".
He recalled the professional opportunities he encountered in the early years of his career and the contribution of Italian entrepreneurs, of whom he said he had always admired "the inventiveness, the passion for work, the commitment, the sacrifice".
Tettamanti recognized these qualities as an important driver of Italian and Ticino economic development, recalling in particular the role of Italian entrepreneurs who have transferred their skills and initiatives to Italian-speaking Switzerland.
It is a passage that restores a personal dimension of his relationship with the territory: the awareness that professional and entrepreneurial paths are also built thanks to the opportunities received and the contribution of the people met along the way.
The Bruno Leoni Prize 2026 offers an opportunity to retrace a significant part of Tito Tettamanti's journey and the principles that accompanied his activity: freedom of initiative, the value of ideas and trust in people's ability to implement them.
For Fidinam, founded by Tettamanti in Lugano in 1960, it is also a moment to remember the path of its founder and honorary president. An entrepreneurial story born in Ticino and developed over the course of over sixty years, through new activities, markets and international relations.
The full recording of the live streaming of the ceremony entitled LIVE | Premio Bruno Leoni 2026 | TITO TETTAMANTI is available on the YouTube channel of the Bruno Leoni Institute.
Founded in 2003, Istituto Bruno Leoni is an independent study center that promotes debate on the issues of individual freedom, the market economy and competition. Through research, dissemination and its own initiatives, it contributes to the public debate on the principles and policies that favor an open society and a free economy.
Since 2008, the Institute has annually awarded the Bruno Leoni Prize to personalities who have distinguished themselves in the dissemination of these ideas. Among the winners there are also two Nobel Prize winners: the economist Vernon L. Smith, awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2002 and awarded in 2008, and the writer Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010 and awarded in 2014.