The quarry which delivers Italy’s exquisite Carrara marble is now in the control of Osama bin Laden’s family.
A subsidiary company in the Bin Laden business empire acquired a 50% stake in Marmi Carrara.
The deal, thought to have cost €45m, bought out the stakes which four local families held.
Carrara marble has been sought after since Roman Emperor Augustus used it to transform the appearance of Rome about the time of Christ. In the Renaissance, Michelangelo carved his statue of David from it and in more recent times it was used to form Marble Arch in London.
Mohammed Bin Laden founded the Saudi Arabian construction group. Although he counted Osama bin Laden among his 53 children, the family disowned Osama in 1994.
Today the group's chairman is Bakr Bin Laden, another son of Mohammed Bin Laden and half brother of Osama. Mosque building in Saudi Arabia is among the company’s numerous projects.
Last year the firm ordered Carrara marble worth €40m and observers believe the company’s demand for the luxury marble will continue to grow, along with companies in other countries.
Although the quarrying apparently costs €75 a tonne, its price tag has risen consistently over the past five years, going as high as €3,000 per tonne.
With its Marmi Carrara acquisition, the Bin Laden family now control 27 marble quarries around the world.
