Sad News: Owner Of Nutella Empire Dies

It's a sad day for Nutella fans. The man who brought us the delicious chocolate hazelnut spread, Michele Ferrero, died on Saturday at his home in Monaco, Reuters reported. He was 89 years old. That the famed chocolatier died on Valentine's Day makes the news even sadder. "We are proud of you. Thank you Michele," a message on the Italian empire's website reads. Ferrero had been ill for months, according to the report. His company also produced Tic Tacs, Kinder eggs and Ferrero Rocher chocolates. So, basically, all your favorites. The Associated Press called him "the world's richest candy maker." In 1997, he turned the company over to his two sons, but one died of cardiac arrest in 2011, the AP reported. Ferrero also left behind a wife, Maria Franca. Customers who loved the creamy treat are mourning the billionaire on Twitter, thanking Ferrero for "sweetening up" their lives. Fun fact: Ferrero use to travel by helicopter every day from his home to the company headquarters in northwest Italy to taste and help create new products, Reuters reported. Ferrero's father started making Nutella during World War II, when cocoa was being rationed, according to the AP.