The richest German is Dieter Schwarz, the founder of Lidl. Logistician Klaus-Michael Kühne follows in second place.
The Strüngmann brothers, who were one of the first Biontech investors, are also among the ten richest Germans.
The tenth richest German is IT specialist Friedhelm Loh.
Numerous billionaires live in Germany. Exactly how many is unclear. But estimates assume that there are more than 100. Some of them are even so rich that they are among the richest people in the world, regularly reported by the US media “Forbes” be determined. Business Insider presents the ten richest people in Germany.
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10th place: Friedhelm Loh (assets 9 billion euros)
Forbes currently estimates Friedhelm Loh’s fortune at 9.8 billion US dollars (equivalent to nine billion euros). He is CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group, which includes several IT companies. Total sales were recently three billion euros. Rittal, the largest company based in Herborn, Hesse, earns its money primarily in the automotive industry and, according to its own statements, employs more than 9,000 people. It was founded by Rudolf Loh, Friedhelm Loh’s father.
9th place: Andreas Strüngmann (asset 11.2 billion dollars)
Forbes estimates Andreas Strüngmann’s fortune at $11.2 billion. (10.3 billion euros). Together with his brother (follows in eighth place), he was one of the first investors in the German biotechnology company BionTech, which launched the first corona vaccine. He is co-founder of the pharmaceutical company Hexal, which he sold to the US group Novartis in 2005 for seven billion dollars.
8th place: Thomas Strüngmann (asset 11.2 billion dollars)
Forbes also estimates his brother, Thomas Strüngmann, at 11.2 billion dollars (10.3 billion euros). The twins have been investing in various pharmaceutical companies since 2008. They owe their rise to the list of the richest Germans to their investment in Biontech, whose value has multiplied as a result of the vaccine breakthrough.
7th place: Karl Abrecht Junior (asset $15.9)
According to Forbes, the son of the Aldi founder is worth 15.9 dollars (14.6 billion euros). He is a co-owner of the Aldi Süd supermarket chain, which emerged from his father’s dispute with his brother. In the past, the entrepreneur, who was born in 1947, worked at Aldi Süd himself. Among other things, he was responsible for business in the USA. In 2004 he retired from operational business.
6th place: Theo Albrecht Junior (asset $16.5 billion)
Theo Albrecht Junior is a co-owner of Aldi Nord, and Forbes estimates his fortune at $16.5 billion (15.22 billion euros). Unlike his brother, he still works for the discounter. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1982.
5th place: Susanne Klatten (asset 23.9 billion dollars)
Susanne Klatten’s fortune is estimated at $ 23.9 billion (22 billion euros). It holds about 19 percent of the carmaker BMW. Her father, Herbert Quandt, already had a stake in BMW and after his death he bequeathed the shares to Susanne Klatten, among others.
4th place: Stefan Quandt (asset 24.9 billion dollars)
Stefan Quandt owns around 23.6 percent of the car manufacturer BMW. His fortune is estimated by “Forbes” at 24.9 billion dollars (22.9 billion euros). He is the brother of Susanne Klatten, the richest woman in Germany (fifth place), who also has a stake in BMW. The billionaire, who is considered to be reclusive, is currently the chairman of BMW’s supervisory board, which oversees the carmaker’s fortunes.
3rd place: Reinhold Würth (asset: 30.1 billion dollars)
According to Forbes, Reinhold Würth, who made the screw manufacturer of the same name Würth, has a fortune of 30.1 billion dollars (27.7 billion euros). He joined his father’s screw trade at the age of 14. Five years later, in 1949, his father died and Reinhold Würth took over the two-man business. Under his leadership, Würth grew to become the world market leader. Most recently, the company’s turnover was more than 20 billion euros.
2nd place: Klaus-Michael Kühne (asset: 40.2 billion dollars)
The US MediumForbes“ Klaus-Michael Kühne estimates his fortune at 40.2 billion US dollars (equivalent to around 37 billion euros).
Most of that comes from publicly traded stocks he holds. Including the shares in logistics company Kuehne + Nagel. The company was founded by his grandfather and then managed by the grandson for decades. There are also shares in the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd and 1.5 billion dollars (1.4 billion euros) from Lufthansa, in which he also holds shares.
1st place: Dieter Schwarz (asset: 43.5 billion dollars)
The Lidl founder is considered the richest German. His fortune according to Forbes: 43.5 billion US dollars (40 billion euros). In 1973 he opened the first branch of the discount chain. The company now has 11,000 branches in numerous countries, including the USA. The billionaire is considered public shy. There are hardly any photos of him, and he completely refuses to be interviewed. He invests a lot of his money in his home town of Heilbronn.