If you’re in the market for a new, larger-than-life Instagram account to follow, scroll no farther than the shiny handle of Gianluca Vacchi.
He’s been labeled everything from an “Italian stallion” and a “silver fox,” to simply “#goals.”
The 50-year-old millionaire enjoys a luxurious life full of yachts, private jets, adrenaline fixes, celebrity friends and beautiful women – and documents it all on Instagram for his 11.2 million followers. In addition to lounging in designer silk pyjamas and performing no shortage of stunts (like standing on the seat of his moving Harley Davidson), Vacchi has a soft spot for posting inspirational quotes on social media, complete with the hashtag #gvlifestyle. This “GV Lifestyle” has grown tremendously and even brought forth a book, Enjoy.
The easy-on-the-eyes – and heavily tattooed – Bologna, Italy native is heir to the IMA group, a company that specializes in industrial packaging and pharmacy. He also serves as a president at manufacturing company SEA Societe Europea Autocaravan and was part owner of luxury watch company ToyWatch. But that’s not to say he works too hard – those days are over. Vacchi’s role at IMA Group is a lot more lax in recent years since he stepped away from his management role. “I’ll attend board meetings and check in every 10 to 15 days,” he said of his current involvement with the company.
After clocking in 20 years working at the family business, by 45, Vacchi realized he was in need of a change – a change that would see him essentially retire to “live the dream” full time. It’s this epiphany of his that’s central to his book Enjoy. “This second life is the most beautiful thing a man can have. I have had two lives and it’s unbelievable to me,” said Vacchi. “When I was 45 I realized I had achieved what I wanted; let’s find other ways to spend my time.”
Most recently, Vacchi entered into the world of DJing, a passion-fuelled craft he constantly works on. He has also become known for his now viral dancing videos. “I’ve always loved instruments and music. My grandmother was a piano teacher and I used to play piano,” he said. Starting as a DJ came naturally, even if it happened later on in life. “Reaching your dreams is achievable; but it takes the courage to go after them and you have to not think it’s impossible,” says Vacchi of becoming a DJ. “Some people can’t reach them out of fear. It’s not because I have money that I am a DJ – I had the courage to try. Whenever I can have a new experience, I jump on it.”
As for the GV Lifestyle brand, Vacchi says it is simply an extension of his life. “I am an entrepreneur, I am a DJ, the brand is going to come with me in the path of my life. It can mean anything,” he says. In terms of both how he lives his life and what he invests in, Vacchi says accumulating money does not drive him. “Time is the only thing that I care about,” he says. “Financial gain is the last of the things. Money and profit is the result of things gone well.” What does fuel him are his curiosity and passions.
Vacchi explained how people advised him against getting involved with ToyWatch plastic watches. “People were saying that they were the type of thing you could buy on the beach,” said Vacchi. “That’s exactly why it was time to sell them on the luxury street – and we sold out. I was so certain that things are going to go well, that I wasn’t scared.” In other words, he saw the opportunity, took a risk and jumped right in.
While most people construct idealized images of how we’d like to appear to the outside world on social media, Vacchi says that what you see is what you get (which is basically him in all of his glossy, oozing-with-cash glory). “There is nothing people can’t catch because I am so transparent and have no masking,” says Vacchi. “I think people understand that this is the real me. I am a very open. I share the place live, what I’m doing and my philosophy of life. There’s nothing hidden.” This means curating and documenting a life of playing hard and barely working, giving the outside world something to dream about. Hey, somebody has to do it, right?