MILAN—Luxottica Group S.p.A. (MTA: LUX; NYSE: LUX) has announced the gifting of free treasury shares of the company to the group’s employees in Italy in honor of founder and chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio’s 80th birthday.

The shares are a gift from Del Vecchio and are valued at approximately €9 million with an aggregate maximum amount of 140,000 Luxottica Group treasury shares to be distributed, the company said. Delfin S.à.r.l., which is controlled by Del Vecchio and is the majority shareholder of Luxottica’s ordinary shares at 61.38 percent, will assume all costs and expenses of the share grant.

“A sincere thank you to the group’s employees in Italy, those at the heart of Luxottica’s success,” said Del Vecchio. “With this small gesture, I would like to show how important the employees are to me. I truly feel as if we are family.”