Germany is one of the world’s most industrious countries. The richest men in Germany have collectively been some of the main driving forces behind the German economy; they are the ones whose enterprises power the country by providing jobs, and whose production efforts provide the daily needs of the German people, sending out the excess produce to other countries, and bringing in foreign exchange in the process.

It seems that Germany has always been home to some very wealthy individuals. A good number of those who rank among the wealthiest people in Germany still trace their wealth to the resourcefulness of their fathers who lived and worked during that time; showing that Germany has perfected the art of preserving generational wealth for the use of future generations.

Germany has some of the richest people in the world; as a matter of fact, the 136 Billionaires in Germany are some of the movers and shakers of the world’s economy; the influence of their industry and commerce reaches far and wide, and their business moves directly the flow of money in the Eurozone.

Top 10 Richest Men In Germany 

1. Beate Heister & Karl Albrecht

Net Worth: $39.2 Billion

Industry: Supermarket chain, Retail sales

Company: Aldi

Siblings Karl Albrecht Jr and Beate Heister who together control the German Supermarket giant Aldi remain on top of the German money list. They have not been unchallenged at the top, however; it has taken astute management skills to keep their company at the summit, and their wealth on the rise.

Aldi was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 and then split into two separate groups in 1960. Nevertheless, this is one of the biggest enterprises in Germany, and it has continued to grow. Recently, Aldi opened at least 8 new stores in the US, and a further 15 in the United Kingdom, with a further 100 to be added within the next two years.

This aggressive expansion is a strategy to boost turnover; Aldi is going to be difficult to beat in the next couple of decades. The company already has more than 11,235 stores in 20 countries, with revenue of US$121.1 billion.

This company has been run by the family for two generations, and the third generation is presently being groomed to take over the reins of the company.

2. Dieter Schwarz

Net worth: $36.9 Billion

Industry: Supermarket chain, Retail sales

Company: Schwarz-Gruppe

Dieter Schwarz is a German billionaire businessman, and retail magnate. He is the owner of the Schwarz-Gruppe; which encompasses retail giants Lidl and Kaufland. Dieter Schwarz was born into a business family; his father Josef Schwarz was already into retail commerce with the business called Lidl & Schwarz KG.

Dieter Joined the business in 1973, and then opened the company’s first discount supermarket. He took control of the company in 1977 when his father died, and he quickly expanded it with more branches, even going international. A dispute with co-owner A Lidl soon followed, and as a result he is the sole owner of the business.

The Schwarz Group now has with 500,000 employees in 33 countries, and has € 125.3 billion in revenue.

3. Susan Klatten

Net worth: $27.7 billion

Industry: Auto Manufacturing, Chemicals

Company: BMW, Altana, Nordex, SGL Carbon

Susan Klatten has maintained her position as Germany’s richest woman; while her wealth has grown steadily above her equally wealthy brother. The billionaire heiress continues to own 19% of BMW- the company resuscitated by her late father several decades before. However, her own ventures have been massively successful, which is why her wealth has continued to rise while her brother’s has not been able to keep up.

Some of the companies in her portfolio include BMW, Altana AG, Nordex, and SGL Carbon. She maintains a diversified portfolio, and remains one of the most powerful women in Germany.

4. Klaus-Michael Kühne

Net Worth: $26.3 Billion

Industry: Shipping, Logistics

Company: Kuhne+Nagel AG

Klaus-Michael Kühne was declared the richest man in Germany only about two years ago. The retail owners have since unseated him from that throne, but he remains one of Germany’s most influential gentlemen. Herr Kuhne inherited control of one of the world’s biggest shipping companies, which was co-founded by his grandfather August Huhne back in 1890.

The company Kuhne+Nagel AG is a world leader is sea freight, and also works in the air freight industry as well. Kuhne+Nagel AG accounts for nearly 15% of the world’s air and sea freight business by revenue.

Klaus-Michael Kuhne joined the company when it was under his father’s control, back in 1963. Since then he has been with the company; taking control as CEO in 1996. He has since stepped down as CEO, and been made Honorary Chairman of the company. Aside from the company he has also invested in other companies such as Hapag-Lloyd and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

5. Stefan Quandt

Net Worth: $26.1 Billion

Industry: Auto Manufacture

Company: BMW

Stefan Quandt (born 9 May 1966) is the younger brother to the Susan Klatten highlighted above; they are both heirs to the BMW company. Stefan Quandt inherited a fortune from his father Herbert Quandt; a wealthy investor and industrialist who rescued the company from insolvency.

Stefan Quandt is now the deputy chairman of the supervisory board of BMW- a position he attained after inheriting more stake in the company from his mother.

Delton AG is a holding company with which he manages many other investments he inherited from his father. He is also on the advisory boards of many philanthropic organizations.

6. Theodor “Theo” Albrecht Jr.

Net Worth: $18.8 Billion

Industry: Supermarket chain, Retail sales

Company: Aldi

Theodor “Theo” Albrecht Jr. is a German billionaire businessman. He is the owner of Trader Joe’s and Aldi Nord. He is the cousin of the siblings Karl Albrecht Jr and Beate Heister who are jointly the richest in Germany, and who control Aldi or Aldi Sud to be specific. Remember that the Aldi Supermarket Chain was started by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht. His father was the Theo.

Theodor “Theo” Albrecht Jr. had a brother with whom he controlled their part of the supermarket chain, but his brother died in 2012, and now his fortune has passed to his brother’s heirs.

7. Reinhold Würth

Net Worth: $16.8 Billion

Industry: Manufacturing

Company: Würth Group

Reinhold Würth took his father’s small shop where he sold screws and bolts, and turned it into a multi billion dollar business. Today, he is a billionaire businessman and art collector who sits at the head of the Würth Group; which has 83,183 employees, who make bolts, screws and fasteners which are used to power the vast German engineering machinery. The company also makes automotive hardware, chemicals, electronic and electromechanical components, as well as furniture, tools, and machines.

Reinhold Wurth has invested in art; he has developed a love for contemporary art, and has a private collection that is as big as a gallery. He has groomed his son to take up his position as chairman of the company.

8. Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Schaeffler

Net Worth: $14.9 Billion

Industry: Diversified

Company: Schaeffler Group

Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Schaeffler is a German billionaire who controls a company by the same name- Schaeffler Group, where he is the Chairman. The company was built by his father, and passed on his control when his father died. Georg Schaeffler controls 80% of the company, while the other 20% of the company belongs to his mother.

Schaeffler Group employs 83,297 people across its 5 subsidiaries, and controls more than €14.2 billion in revenue. The company is one of the largest in Germany and has been making strategic investments in other countries as well. Georg Schaeffler may yet climb higher on the log; his company is well positioned to rake in more money very soon.

9. Alexander Otto

Net worth: $11.8 billion

Industry: Retail, Real Estate, Financial Services

Alexander Otto was born on 7th July 1967. He is a German billionaire businessman who inherited part of his father’s retail company. He joined the family business in 1994, and helped grow it, and diversify it; making it one of the biggest e-commerce companies in the world. The company is ECE Group, and Alexander Otto is the majority owner of the company.

The company has also diversified into real estate, although they basically develop commercial properties; including shopping malls and office spaces. Alexander Otto was educated in America; he attended Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

10. Thomas Strüngmann

Net Worth: $11.0 Billion

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Company: Hexal, BioNTech

Thomas Strüngmann is a German billionaire businessman who is also known as the biggest drug maker in the world. He founded Hexal AG- a generic drug maker in 1986. The company had $1.6 billion in sales during 2004. Thomas and his twin brother then went on to sell Hexal for $6.7B.

They are also heavily invested in various pharmaceutical companies around the world, such as $8B on their stake in BioNTech SE, which the research company that makes the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

They also own significant shares in 4SC and Immatics.

11. Andreas Strüngmann

Net Worth: $11.0 Billion

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Company: Hexal, BioNTech Andreas Strüngmann is the younger twin of Thomas Strüngmann and with his brother he shares the world’s biggest pharmaceutical fortune.

His fortune started with Hexal which he ran with his brother until they sold it for a sizable fortune. He also has has an equal share in the 50% stake in BioNTech SE, which is the Biotech company making the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. He has a mansion in South Africa.

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Finally

The richest men in Germany not only control great wealth; they also make significant impact on the lives of people with the jobs they provide, and with the products they make, which sometimes contribute to the improvement of the lives of the people in general.

All in all, it is very evident from this list that Germany is the powerhouse of Europe, and that this country plays a great role in the world’s economy.

Reference: Forbes.com, Wikipedia

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