From left: Victoria and Katharina Countesses of Faber-Castell, Charles Count of Faber-Castell and Sarah Countess of Faber-Castell. Faber-Castell Getty Images / Frank Wagner / Faber-Castell
At the end of August, four aristocratic siblings smile into the camera and hug each other, as if they wanted to show the world: We are one. It’s the year 2021. Charles, Katharina, Sarah and Victoria from Faber Castell have their photos taken on the steps of their own castle. This ninth generation of the count’s clan has just adopted a family constitution, a kind of strategy paper for the Faber-Castells and their company.
The Adels family runs the largest pen manufacturer in the world and they enjoy attending celebrity and society events. Despite this prominence, the family is a “closed shop” and takes great care to ensure that no internal information from the company and the inner workings of the noble family leaks out. Official statements are rare.
The adoption of the family constitution is apparently such a special occasion that the family, for once, speaks publicly about itself. The siblings share a rare quote: “As the ninth generation, we have felt since childhood how much positive power the Faber-Castell brand and our products have around the world. We want to play an active role in trusting cooperation and open dialogue between shareholders, supervisory bodies, the board of directors and the entire workforce to ensure that Faber-Castell is not only one of the oldest family companies, but also one of the youngest and most innovative.”
“Trust”, “open dialogue”, “togetherness” – the young generation of the family presents itself as united and willing to steer the traditional company into the future together. But research by Business Insider now shows that the beautiful facade actually has cracks. Behind the scenes there is a tough power struggle between the siblings for dominance in the company.