“My wife and I gave our children the freedom to choose their individual paths in life. They took different ones which, as luck would have it, are converging at this very moment,” he said.

“I am convinced that they will continue to expand and deepen our Group’s vision and prudently execute it. As the Group’s chairman,  I shall oversee this positive transition, ensuring that our strong financial standing is sustained and to see that our excellent track record extends to the future.”

It is a major sign of trust by Silvio Debono in his four children – Robert Debono, the eldest, is only 29 years old – at a time of an enhanced sense of uncertainty within the hospitality industry. 

Robert Debono will now get to manage the db Group’s empire, which stretches from the db Seabank and db San Antono hotels to the Starbucks Malta coffee chain, the Hard Rock Cafe, LOA, Nine Lives and Sonora restaurants.

It also runs five property companies and three healthcare companies and provides catering services to hospitals and Air Malta. 

In recent eyes, the db Group has had its eyes on a major project on the former ITS site in St George’s Bay.

Db intends to develop the land into a ‘5star+’ tourist destination, which would include a Hard Rock Hotel and serviced apartments. 

However, it has faced significant resistance from the residents and local councils, and the entire project had to go back to the drawing board in 2019 after a court rescinded a planning permit on the grounds that PA member Matthew Pace had a potential conflict of interest. 

However, the project was approved again in 2021.

“This is an exciting and humbling challenge for my siblings and myself. The Board is trusting us to sustain and enhance the success of a group of companies on which the livelihood of 4,500 families and individuals depends,” Robert Debono said. 

“It is also happening as the tourism industry and the economy are expected to get a post-pandemic reboot. The future looks bright and we are ready for it.”