Madrid experienced a night that rewrote the rules of the global elite. The 2025 edition of the Best CEO Awards transformed the Spanish capital into an epicenter of power, luxury, and international influence, attracting multimillionaire entrepreneurs, investors, political figures, top models, and leading personalities from 56 countries. A carefully curated human mosaic that created an atmosphere almost impossible to replicate anywhere else in Europe.

Among the guests, the night’s undisputed protagonist was Antonio De Matteis, CEO of Kiton and President of Pitti Immagine, who was crowned Best CEO Awards ICON 2025. The award celebrates not only outstanding financial results — with Kiton surpassing €240 million in revenue under his leadership — but also a style of leadership that blends elegance, discipline, and cultural vision. His moment on stage filled the room with a ceremonial sense of respect: a tribute not just to performance, but to a philosophy of luxury as culture and identity.

The entire gala was an aesthetic triumph. Perfectly calibrated lighting, haute-couture-inspired table settings, evening gowns that looked like treasures pulled from a private fashion archive, and a seamless flow of champagne served with the precision of the world’s finest private clubs. The dinner — a true Michelin-style experience — culminated in a meticulously presented Wagyu steak, treated more like a gastronomic artwork than a simple dish. All of it behind closed doors, in a protected environment where discretion is the norm, not the exception.

In this rarefied setting, conversations naturally turn into opportunities. Real estate magnates, tech founders, institutional investors, and government representatives shared tables and insights, creating the kind of dialogue that elsewhere would require months and multiple intermediaries. At the Best CEO Awards, social and economic distances collapse: everything happens faster, quieter, and more effectively.

Access to the ICON category remains strictly reserved for the few. The independent jury evaluates impact, credibility, and strategic vision, requiring a minimum net worth of €10 million just to enter the shortlist of eligible candidates. For everyone else, applications are open — but ruthlessly merit-based. Verifiable data, concrete results, and recognizable social impact are non-negotiable. This is an event where appearance holds no weight: only substance does.

As the final guests left the room, the announcement everyone was expecting finally arrived: the 2026 edition will return to Madrid on May 30, 2026. A strategic decision, considering that the 2025 edition generated more than €10 million in economic impact across luxury hotels, fine dining, private security, VIP transportation, and related services.

And already, in the right circles, rumors are circulating that three of Madrid’s top luxury hotels are quietly competing to secure the event: the Four Seasons Madrid, which hosted some of the most memorable past editions; the legendary Mandarin Oriental Ritz; and the exclusive Rosewood Villamagna, increasingly prominent among the global high-society crowd. No official confirmations — just the kind of whispers that tend to be well-informed in these environments.

If 2025 crowned Antonio De Matteis as an international leadership icon, the 2026 edition promises to raise the bar even higher.

In Madrid, one thing is certain: at the Best CEO Awards, success is not simply celebrated. It is defined.