“Between them, Essilor and Luxottica play a central, intimate role in the lives of a remarkable number of people. Around 1.4 billion of us rely on their products to drive to work, read on the beach, follow the whiteboard in biology lessons, type text messages to our grandchildren, land aircraft, watch old movies, write dissertations and glance across restaurants, hoping to look slightly more intelligent and interesting than we actually are. Last year, the two companies had a combined customer base that is somewhere between Apple’s and Facebook’s, but with none of the hassle and scrutiny of being as well known.” From prescription specs to stylish shades, there’s a very good chance you’re a customer of one or both of the two companies that fully dominate the eyeglasses market. And they’re about to be one company. The Guardian: The Spectacular Power of Big Lens.