Germany’s Richest Man to Pocket $9 Billion After Well-Timed Bets
- Klaus-Michael Kühne expanded transport empire as demand soared
- Octogenarian plans to pass on investments to Swiss foundation
This article is for subscribers only.
Klaus-Michael Kühne, Germany’s richest person, stands to reap at least $9.3 billion in dividends after a period of profitable growth at his expanding transport empire.
The windfall stems from the 87-year-old tycoon’s 53% stake in Kuehne + Nagel International AG, the world’s largest air and sea freight-forwarding business co-founded by his grandfather, a 15% holding in Deutsche Lufthansa AG and 30% stake in Hapag-Lloyd AG. He’s the biggest investor in the German airline, having built his stake after a government bailout in 2022. And he boosted his interest in the container line in 2020, just before a boom that led to record profits.