Susanne Klatten: The Name Behind BMW
- Age: 61
- Country of Origin: Germany
- Gender: Female
- Date of Birth: April 28, 1962
- Height: 5’2” (1.57m)
- Source of Wealth: Entrepreneur
- Net Worth: $24.2 Billion
Like Alice Walton and Francoise Bettencourt, Susanne Klatten received a huge fortune from her family. She is the wealthiest woman in Germany from a wealthy family lineage and billionaire heiress who is also an economist and entrepreneur.
As of May 2024, Susanne Klatten net worth is a cool $24.2 billion.
Come along as we go on a journey to explore who this Germany’s richest woman is.
Susanne Klatten’s Facts
- Susanne inherited a 50.1 percent stake at Atlana AG.
- She also owns a 19.2 percent stake in BMW as of 2015.
- Her father was the popular BMW industrialist Herbert Quandt.
Susanne Klatten’s Early Life
Born on the 28th of April, 1962 in Bad Homburg, Germany, Susanne Klatten grew up in wealth. Her father was Herbert Quandt, the famous industrialist that helped the luxury vehicle BMW to greatness while her mother Johanna Quandt was his third wife.
She has 2 siblings namely; Stefan Quandt and Silvia Quandt. Her family was reportedly connected to Nazis during World War II. Susanne enrolled in a University of Buckingham course in management and marketing. She also holds an MBA from the IMD Business School with a focus on advertising and a degree in finance.
Susanne Klatten’s Career
From 1981 to 1983, Susanne Klatten worked in an advertising firm called Young and Rubicam in Frankfurt. She got more experience in business when she worked at Dresdner Bank in London. Susanne was an intern at BMW where she worked as an engineer. During her time working at BMW, she went by the name Susanne Kant to avoid special treatment and also to hide her identity.
After the death of her father on June 2nd 1982, Susanne became the sole owner and deputy chair of Altana, a pharmaceutical and chemical firm. She transformed the company of her grandfather to a leading firm not just in Germany but the world. Her company Atlana AG, was on the German Dax list top 30 companies. She is a member of Altana’s supervisory board. Susanne along with her brother Stephan, were appointed to the supervisory board of BMW.
She also owns an investment company called Skion and bought almost all of Altana’s shares in 2009. It was not just the pharmaceutical company Susanne inherited after the death of her father. She was given a 12 percent stake in BMW which increased after the death of her mother at age 89 in August 2015 to 19.2 percent.
Susanne Klatten’s Net Worth
We all know that Susanne inherited a huge family fortune but just how huge was it you ask? Well, after the death of her father in 1982, she received a 50.1 percent stake in the pharmaceutical and chemical company Atlana.
That’s not all, she also received a 12.50 percent stake in BMW from her father and after the death of her mother in 2015 her stake in BMW rose to 19.2 percent. Susanne is also a shareholder of the digital printing and nanotechnology company “Landa Digital” with a stake of 46 percent. She also has a 40 percent stake in Entrust Datacard, a company that deals in data security and digital identity. Other companies where she owns shares include; German turbine company Nordex and German graphite maker SGL Carbon.
Susanne is worth $24.2 billion as of May 2024 and is the richest woman in Germany.
Susanne Klatten’s Personal Life
Susanne married Jan Klatten in 1990 and they have 3 children. The couple were together for 28 years and went their separate ways in 2018.
Before her separation with husband Jan Klatten, Susanne Klatten was in the news for cheating. In 2007, she was involved with a man named Sgarbi who later blackmailed her after she dumped him. This scandal was all the media talked about as it involved the richest woman in Germany. Their relationship was all part of Sgarbi’s master plan to extort Susanne of millions of Euros. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
As of May 2024, Susanne isn’t in a relationship with anyone.
Susanne Klatten’s Spending Habit
Susanne Klatten is the richest woman in Germany and for good reasons. Instead of lavishing her wealth or lazying about because of her fortune, she makes good investment decisions which in return triple her wealth.
Susanne channels her money to development projects like the establishment of an educational centre UnternehmerTUM at the Technical University of Munich that is the center for business innovation and creation in Germany. She also makes huge donations to the center right political party, Christian Democratic Union.
Apart from having investments, Susanne spends her money on real estate. Reports state that Susanne owns a house in the Schwabing neighborhood. This neighborhood is regarded as one of Munich’s richest. Another house she owns is a single story mansion located in Bad Homburg, Germany. There is the family house in Antibes, France as well.
Susanne Klatten’s Awards and Achievement
Susanne Klatten has a number of awards to her name. In 2007, the billionaire heiress received the Bayerischer Verdienstorden award.
She received the prize for Understanding and Tolerance by the Jewish Museum Berlin in November 2018.
Susanne Klatten’s Charity
Compassionate about helping people, Susanne has donated millions of dollars to various charities.
Popular for supporting and promoting women in business, Susanne is a major contributor to a women’s entrepreneurship program at Harvard Business School.
In addition, she has donated millions to cancer research and established an art and nature foundation called Nantesbuch which lets people experience and enjoy the power of nature.
Favorite Quotes From Susanne Klatten
- “Many believe that we are permanently sitting around doing nothing on a yacht in the Mediterranean.” – Susanne Klatten
- “Our potential comes from the role of being an heir and developing that. Working hard on that every day is what we do.” – Susanne Klatten
3 Lessons from Susanne Klatten
Having gone through the life of the richest woman in Germany, here are 3 lessons we can take away from her.
- Personal Growth Investment is a Must
Susanne Klatten’s story teaches us to seek personal growth. Work on yourself, especially areas in your life that can be a hindrance to greater opportunities.
- Do not put all your Eggs in One Basket
One lesson that was constant in the story of Susanne Klatten was diversity. She made sure she spread her investments in different business industries. Putting your eggs in one basket can hinder opportunities. Maximize your ability.
- Be Responsible
The smallest decision can affect every other decision in your life. Be responsible at making decisions that will take you to the next level.
Summary
Susanne Klatten is the richest woman in Germany. Her family is also one of the richest in Europe. She is a billionaire heiress, economist and entrepreneur who owns stakes in BMW, Atlana AG, Entrust and much more.
Susanne Klatten’s net worth as at May 2024 is stated to be around $24.2 billion.
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