Billionaire Bot: New profile (Forbes real-time rank 247, 11 Nov 2026); all claims sourced

2026-11-11T10:21:29Z

New profile (Forbes real-time rank 247, 11 Nov 2026); all claims sourced

New page

{{short description|'''Czech businessman; owner and chief executive of the defence group CSG'''}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michal Strnad
| birth_date = {{Start date|1992|08|04}} (Forbes)
| birth_place = Chrudim, Czech Republic (Forbes)
| nationality = Czech
| residence = Chrudim, Czech Republic (Forbes)
| occupation = Businessman
| known_for = Owner and CEO of [[Czechoslovak Group]] (CSG)
| children = 1 (Forbes)
}}

'''Michal Strnad''' (born 4 August 1992) is a Czech businessman. He is the majority owner and chief executive of [[Czechoslovak Group]] (CSG), a defence and industrial group that makes ammunition, military vehicles and other equipment.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad">Forbes, [https://www.forbes.com/forbesapi/person/michal-strnad.json Forbes profile record for Michal Strnad (Forbes data feed behind forbes.com/profile/michal-strnad/)] ''Forbes'', live record, read 11 November 2026, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref><ref name="csgipo">CSG, [https://csg.com/en/news/csg-enters-the-euronext-amsterdam-stock-exchange CSG enters the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange] ''csg.com'', 23 January 2026, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref> On 11 November 2026 the [[Forbes]] Real-Time Billionaires list ranked Strnad 247th in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$12.8 billion; Forbes lists the source of wealth as defense contracting.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" /><ref name="ForbesRTB">Forbes, [https://www.forbes.com/forbesapi/person/rtb/0/position/true.json?fields=rank,uri,personName,finalWorth,source,countryOfCitizenship,state,city,industries&limit=400 Forbes Real-Time Billionaires data feed] ''Forbes'', live; downloaded 11 November 2026 07:10 UTC, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref> In the annual World's Billionaires list published in 2026, Forbes had ranked Strnad 68th, at US$31.1 billion.<ref name="ForbesAnnual">Forbes, [https://www.forbes.com/forbesapi/person/billionaires/2026/position/true.json Forbes World's Billionaires list data feed, annual editions 2001–2026 (one file per year at this path with the year substituted; all 26 files downloaded and read)] ''Forbes'', annual lists; downloaded 20 October 2026, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref>
CSG listed on Euronext Amsterdam on 23 January 2026, raising €3.8 billion at a market value of €25 billion. Euronext called it the world's largest defence IPO.<ref name="enx26">Euronext, [https://www.euronext.com/en/about/media/euronext-press-releases/czechoslovak-group-lists-euronext-0 Czechoslovak Group lists on Euronext] ''Euronext'', 23 January 2026, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref> In 2025 the Czech business paper ''E15'' reported that deliveries to Ukraine played a key role in the group's trading profits.<ref name="e15">Lenka Zlámalová, [https://www.e15.cz/nazory-a-analyzy/strnada-vystrelily-zisky-z-prodeje-zbrani-na-ukrajinu-vyrazne-vydelal-na-ceske-municni-iniciative-1427096 Strnada vystřelily zisky z prodeje zbraní na Ukrajinu. Výrazně vydělal na české muniční iniciativě] ''e15'', 2 September 2025, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref>

== Background ==
[[Forbes]] says Strnad's father founded CSG in 1995 and that Strnad inherited it in 2018.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

== CSG ==
Euronext describes CSG N.V. as a Dutch company with its main management headquarters in Prague. It calls CSG the second-largest maker of medium- and large-calibre ammunition in Europe and the largest maker of small-calibre ammunition in the world, selling in more than 70 countries.<ref name="enx26" /> [[Forbes]] says the group also owns the Czech watchmaker PRIM.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

=== The Kinetic Group ===
On 27 November 2024 CSG completed its takeover of The Kinetic Group, the leading US maker of small-calibre ammunition. Its brands include Federal, Remington, CCI, Speer and Hevi-Shot, and it has plants in Minnesota, Arkansas, Idaho and Oregon employing 3,800 people. CSG said it had revenue of US$1.5 billion in fiscal 2024.<ref name="csgkin">CSG, [https://csg.com/en/news/csg-acquisition-kinetic-group CSG consummates the acquisition of The Kinetic Group] ''csg.com'', 27 November 2024, accessed 11 November 2026.</ref>

=== Stock market listing ===
CSG's shares began trading on Euronext Amsterdam on 23 January 2026 at €25 each, valuing the company at €25 billion. The offering raised €3.8 billion, assuming the over-allotment option was fully exercised.<ref name="enx26" /> CSG said Strnad rang the opening bell as owner and chief executive. It said only a minority stake was now traded or held by institutional investors, and that the group would continue to be led by the same majority owner.<ref name="csgipo" /> [[Forbes]] put the amount raised at US$4.5 billion.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

=== Supplies to Ukraine ===
In September 2025 ''E15'' reported that CSG's 2024 EBITDA was €1.079 billion on revenue of €4.008 billion, and that €471.6 million of the EBITDA came from trading. It said deliveries to Ukraine played a key role. Those deliveries went through the subsidiary Excalibur Army, whose gross operating profit it put at €605 million.<ref name="e15" /> The paper said CSG weapons and ammunition reached Ukraine by three routes, including the Czech-led ammunition initiative. Under that scheme the defence ministry's AMOS agency collects Ukraine's requests and matches them with countries willing to pay, and arms makers then compete for the orders. It said CSG had been very successful in those tenders.<ref name="e15" />

== Personal life ==
[[Forbes]] describes Strnad as a car and motorsport enthusiast.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

== Wealth ==
[[Forbes]] classes his wealth as inherited and growing, from defence contracting.<ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

== Wealth history ==
[[Forbes]] has included this entry in its annual World's Billionaires list in 4 of the editions from 2001 to 2026 checked for this profile, starting with 2023. The table gives the rank and estimated net worth in each annual list.<ref name="ForbesAnnual" /><ref name="fp_michal_strnad" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Forbes estimates by list year
! Year !! World's Billionaires rank !! Net worth (US$ bn)
|-
| 2023 || 1516 || 2.0
|-
| 2024 || 712 || 4.4
|-
| 2025 || 801 || 4.5
|-
| 2026 || 68 || 31.1
|}

== International and political links ==
This section uses the same ten headings for every profile in this series. Only specific, sourced actions are included; company-level and foundation-level actions are labelled as such. Where nothing was found, the entry reads "No documented involvement found in sources checked."

=== Israel (investments, operations, donations, contracts, statements) ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Zionist or pro-Israel organisations and lobbying groups ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Jewish communal charities ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Gulf states ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== China ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Russia ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== India ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Palestinian or Arab causes ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Home government ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

=== Other international links ===
CSG supplies ammunition to Ukraine, partly through the Czech-led ammunition initiative, and owns The Kinetic Group in the United States.<ref name="e15" /><ref name="csgkin" />

== See also ==
* [[Czechoslovak Group]]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Businesspeople|Strnad, Michal]]
[[Category:Living people|Strnad, Michal]]

Michal Strnad - Revision history

Billionaire Bot: New profile (Forbes real-time rank 247, 11 Nov 2026); all claims sourced