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Who is the Richest Person in Germany Today?

Richest Person: Klaus Michael Kuehne

Age: 86

Net Worth: $39.2 Billion

Rank: 32

Source of Wealth: Shipping

Residence: Schindellegi, Switzerland

Marital Status: Married

Klaus Michael Kuehne - Germany's Richest Person
Klaus Michael Kuehne - Germany's Richest Person

Klaus-Michael Kuehne is a German entrepreneur who has led six different companies. He founded Melmed Holding AG and IPMD GmbH.

Mr. Kuehne currently holds the following positions: Managing Director at Melmed Holding AG, Chairman at Kühne Logistics University GmbH, Chairman at the Klaus-Michael Kuehne Foundation, and Managing Director & Director at IPMD GmbH. Along with serving as Chairman of Kühne-Stiftung, he is also a board member of Altrazeal AG, Kühne + Nagel International AG (former Chairman), and Oradisc GmbH.

Klaus-Michael Kuehne Early Life and Education

On June 2, 1937, Klaus-Michael Kühne was born in Hamburg, Germany. Alfred, his father, was an entrepreneur who had inherited from his own father, August, the international logistics and transportation firm Kühne + Nagel. Later on, Alfred joined the Nazi Party and used his business to participate in the systematic theft of Jewish property.

After graduating from Heinrich Hertz-Gymnasium, Klaus-Michael Kühne met German singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann. They are now close friends, and in one of the interviews, Biermann remembers trying to convince his neighbor Kühne of the benefits of communism in biology classes. But after he accomplished that, no.

Following his 1956 graduation, he undertook a two-year commercial apprenticeship in the banking sector. He then underwent extensive training at companies involved in ship operations, forwarding, and shipbroking.He completed an apprenticeship in several European and international Kuehne & Nagel branches from 1958 to 1963.

Klaus-Michael Kuehne Career

Since May 10, 2011, Klaus-Michael Kuehne has held the position of Honorary Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors. He had been the Company's Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1992. Mr. Kuehne serves as a member of the company's chairman's committee as well as the nomination and compensation committee.

Since 1958, he has served in a variety of capacities for the Kuehne & Nagel Group, including Chairman of the Board, Delegate, Member of the Board of Directors, and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kuehne received training in freight forwarding, export trading, and banking.

1958: Entrance into the family business followed by various management positions

1966 – 1975: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Group

1975 – 1992: Delegate and member of the Board of Directors

1992 – 2009: Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee

2009 – 2011: Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Nominations and Compensation Committee

2010 – 2011: Chairman of the Chairman's Committee

2011 – today: Honorary Chairman of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Member of the Board of Directors elected until the Annual General Meeting 2024, Member of the Chairman’s Committee, Member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee elected until the Annual General Meeting 2024

Klaus-Michael Kuehne's Personal Life

Klaus Michael Kuehne and wife
Klaus Michael Kuehne and wife

Kühne married his wife Christine in 1989 but they do not have any children.

Klaus-Michael Kuhne's Net Worth

After surpassing German supermarket billionaire Dieter Schwarz's $30 billion net worth in 2023, Klaus-Michael emerged as Germany's richest person with $39.4B.

August, Klaus-Michael Kuehne's grandfather, co-founded Kühne + Nagel, a global transport and logistics company, in 1890. He is also a significant shareholder in Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, and a part-owner of Hapag-Lloyd, a global shipping and container transportation company. In addition, Kühne established Kühne Logistics University, a private business school in Hamburg.

Full List of the Richest Billionaires in Germany Today

  1. Klaus-Michael Kuehne: $39.2 billion
  2. Dieter Schwarz: $37.8 billion
  3. Reinhold Wuerth & family: $28.0 billion
  4. Stefan Quandt: $24.8 billion
  5. Susanne Klatten: $23.7 billion
  6. Karl Albrecht Jr. & family: $15.8 billion
  7. Beate Heister: $15.8 billion
  8. Andreas Von Bechtolsheim & family: $14.6 billion
  9. Theo Albrecht Jr & family: $14.0 billion
  10. Hasso Plattner & family: $11.1 billion
  11. Georg Schaeffler: $9.9 billion
  12. Andreas Struengmann & family: $9.7 billion
  13. Thomas Struengmann & family: $9.7 billion
  14. Friedhelm Loh: $9.7 billion
  15. Alexander Otto: $9.1 billion
  16. Michael Otto: $8.8 billion
  17. Francine Von Finck & family: $8.5 billion
  18. Wolfgang Herz: $7.5 billion
  19. Michael Herz: $7.5 billion
  20. Juergen Blickle: $7.3 billion
  21. Ludwig Merckle: $6.8 billion
  22. Nadia Thiele: $6.2 billion
  23. Wolfgang Merguerre & family: $5.6 billion
  24. Wolfgang Reimann: $5.4 billion
  25. Stefan Reimann-Andersen: $5.4 billion

Klaus-Michael Kuhne's Facts

♦ Being a passionate art collector, Klaus-Michael Kühne possesses a sizable collection of modern and contemporary artwork.

♦ He enjoys piloting his own aircraft and holds a license to do so.

♦ The Hamburg soccer team Hamburger Sport-Verein (HSV) is favored by Klaus-Michael Kühne. He has contributed to the club financially and with loans.

♦ He suggested pre-financing a Hafencity opera house in Hamburg.

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