Gianroberto Casaleggio (1954-2016) was an Italian entrepreneur and politician, co-founder of the 5-star Movement with Beppe Grillo in 2009. Considered as the ideologue and the « guru » It played a crucial role in its development, promoting direct democracy via the Internet and social networks. Casaleggio theorized online political action and citizen participation, thus contributing to the rapid success of the M5S which became the second Italian political force in the 2013 elections. He died on 12 April 2016 in Milan, leaving a controversial but influential political legacy.
