Billionaire Bot: Added infobox photograph

2026-11-10T12:50:00Z

Added infobox photograph

Billionaire Bot: New profile (Forbes real-time rank 101–125, 20 Oct 2026); all claims sourced

2026-11-10T12:12:39Z

New profile (Forbes real-time rank 101–125, 20 Oct 2026); all claims sourced

New page

{{short description|'''German businesswoman; major shareholder of BMW and founder of the investment company SKion, owner of the chemicals group Altana'''}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Susanne Klatten
| birth_date = {{Start date|1962|04|28}} (Forbes)
| nationality = German
| residence = Bad Homburg, Germany (Forbes)
| occupation = Businesswoman, investor
| known_for = Major shareholder of [[BMW]]; [[SKion]] GmbH; [[Altana]]; founder of [[UnternehmerTUM]]
| children = 3 (Forbes)
| siblings = [[Stefan Quandt]]
| education = [[IMD Business School|IMD]] (MBA) (Forbes)
}}

'''Susanne Klatten''' (born 1962) is a German businesswoman and one of the two largest shareholders of the carmaker [[BMW]]. According to BMW, as of July 2026 her direct and indirect holdings amounted to 20.5% of its voting capital.<ref name="bmw_sh">BMW Group, [https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/investor-relations/bmw-shares.html BMW shares: shareholder structure] ''BMW Group Investor Relations'', as of 31 July 2026; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> Her investment company [[SKion]] owns all of the chemicals group [[Altana]] and is the largest shareholder of [[SGL Carbon]]. In mid-2024 she transferred more than 99% of SKion to her three adult children, remaining its managing director.<ref name="alt24">ALTANA AG, [https://www.altana.com/press-news/publications/corporate-report-2024/group-management-report/group-basics.html Group Basics (Corporate Report 2024, group management report)] ''ALTANA AG'', 2025 (report for 2024); read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="sgl24">SGL Carbon, [https://www.sglcarbon.com/en/newsroom/news/press-report/clarification-on-the-voting-rights-notification-of-dr-susanne-klatten-dated-june-25-2024/ Clarification on the voting rights notification of Dr. Susanne Klatten dated June 25, 2024] ''SGL Carbon SE (press release)'', 25 June 2024, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> She is the sister of [[Stefan Quandt]], BMW's other major shareholder.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten">Forbes, [https://www.forbes.com/forbesapi/person/susanne-klatten.json Forbes profile record for Susanne Klatten (Forbes data feed behind forbes.com/profile/susanne-klatten/)] ''Forbes'', live record, read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> On 20 October 2026 the [[Forbes]] Real-Time Billionaires list ranked Susanne Klatten 109th in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$23.94 billion; Forbes lists the source of wealth as BMW, pharmaceuticals.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" /><ref name="ForbesRTB">Forbes, [https://www.forbes.com/forbesapi/person/rtb/0/position/true.json Forbes Real-Time Billionaires data feed] ''Forbes'', live; downloaded 20 October 2026 11:51 UTC, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> In the annual World's Billionaires list published in 2026, Forbes had ranked Susanne Klatten 79th, at US$29.7 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 21 October 2026.</ref> In 2002 she founded [[UnternehmerTUM]], a centre for business creation at the [[Technical University of Munich]].<ref name="utum">UnternehmerTUM, [https://www.unternehmertum.de/en/about/daten-fakten Facts and Figures about UnternehmerTUM] ''UnternehmerTUM (official website)'', undated; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="tum02">Technische Universität München, [https://portal.mytum.de/pressestelle/pressemitteilungen/news-206 UnternehmerTUM GmbH weist Studenten und Wissenschaftlern Wege in die Selbstständigkeit (UnternehmerTUM GmbH shows students and scientists the way to self-employment)] ''TUM (press release)'', 21 February 2002, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> She and her brother have been regular large donors to the [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]] and occasionally the [[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]].<ref name="bt2013">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2013 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2013 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2013)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2013; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2023">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2023 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2023 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2023)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2023; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2024">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2024 Parteispenden über 35.000 € – Jahr 2024 (Party donations over €35,000 – 2024)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2024; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref>

== Early life and family ==
[[Forbes]] gives her date of birth as 28 April 1962 and lists an MBA from [[IMD Business School|IMD]]. It describes her as an economist and says her late mother, Johanna, was the third wife of the industrialist [[Herbert Quandt]], who guided [[BMW]] in the luxury market.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" /> Forbes also notes that her grandfather Günther Quandt was a Nazi-era industrialist.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" />

In 2011 a study commissioned by the children and grandchildren of Günther and Herbert Quandt was published. Written by the Bonn historian Joachim Scholtyseck and titled ''Der Aufstieg der Quandts'', it examined the family's history under National Socialism. Scholtyseck told Deutschlandfunk that the family had given him access to its private archive and no right to intervene in what he wrote. He said Günther Quandt bore direct responsibility for wrongs involving about 50,000 forced labourers in companies he controlled, and had also profited from "Aryanisation", the Nazi-era seizure of businesses.<ref name="dlf11">Christoph Heinemann (interview with Joachim Scholtyseck), [https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/profiteure-von-arisierung-und-zwangsarbeit-100.html Profiteure von "Arisierung" und Zwangsarbeit (Profiteers of "Aryanisation" and forced labour)] ''Deutschlandfunk'', 23 September 2011, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref>

== Business interests ==
Klatten's [[BMW]] stake is held directly and indirectly; BMW gave it as 20.5% of voting capital as of 31 July 2026.<ref name="bmw_sh" /> [[Forbes]] puts it at about 19%.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" />

According to [[Altana]]'s 2024 corporate report, all the shares in Altana AG are held by [[SKion]] GmbH, an investment company based in Bad Homburg. Klatten was SKion's sole shareholder until mid-2024, when she transferred more than 99% of it in equal parts to her three adult children and kept less than 1%.<ref name="alt24" /> In June 2024 [[SGL Carbon]] said that voting rights held through SKion were no longer attributable to her, but that SKion remained its largest shareholder with 28.55%. Klatten had said in an interview that she would stay on as SKion's managing director during a transition lasting several years.<ref name="sgl24" /> She is deputy chair of Altana's supervisory board.<ref name="alt_mgmt">ALTANA AG, [https://www.altana.de/unternehmen/management Management (Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat) (Management board and supervisory board)] ''ALTANA AG (official website)'', undated; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> Forbes says she helped turn Altana into a pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals company and also holds stakes in [[Entrust]] and SGL.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" />

== Blackmail case ==
In March 2009 the Munich regional court sentenced Helg Sgarbi, a Swiss man, to six years in prison after a trial of less than five hours. He had confessed to defrauding and blackmailing Klatten and other women of almost €9.4 million. He was convicted of fraud in four cases, attempted fraud and attempted blackmail, and Klatten was not required to testify.<ref name="sp09">Der Spiegel, [https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/blitz-urteil-klattens-erpresser-zu-sechs-jahren-haft-verurteilt-a-612180.html Blitz-Urteil: Klattens Erpresser zu sechs Jahren Haft verurteilt (Swift verdict: Klatten's blackmailer sentenced to six years in prison)] ''Der Spiegel'', 9 March 2009, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref>

== Wealth ==
[[Forbes]] gives [[BMW]] and pharmaceuticals as her sources of wealth and classes the fortune as inherited.<ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" /> Her share of the economic interest in [[SKion]]'s holdings has fallen since the 2024 transfer to her children.<ref name="alt24" />

== Wealth history ==
[[Forbes]] has included this entry in its annual World's Billionaires list in 24 of the editions from 2001 to 2026 checked for this profile, starting with 2003. The table gives the rank and estimated net worth in each annual list.<ref name="ForbesAnnual" /><ref name="fp_susanne_klatten" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Forbes estimates by list year
! Year !! World's Billionaires rank !! Net worth (US$ bn)
|-
| 2003 || 57 || 5.3
|-
| 2004 || 40 || 8.1
|-
| 2005 || 46 || 8.2
|-
| 2006 || 60 || 8.1
|-
| 2007 || 68 || 9.6
|-
| 2008 || 55 || 13.2
|-
| 2009 || 35 || 10.0
|-
| 2010 || 51 || 11.1
|-
| 2011 || 44 || 14.6
|-
| 2012 || 59 || 13.0
|-
| 2013 || 58 || 14.3
|-
| 2014 || 49 || 17.4
|-
| 2015 || 54 || 16.8
|-
| 2016 || 38 || 18.5
|-
| 2017 || 38 || 20.4
|-
| 2018 || 32 || 25.0
|-
| 2019 || 46 || 21.0
|-
| 2020 || 54 || 16.8
|-
| 2021 || 53 || 27.7
|-
| 2022 || 56 || 24.3
|-
| 2023 || 51 || 27.4
|-
| 2024 || 71 || 26.5
|-
| 2025 || 78 || 25.2
|-
| 2026 || 79 || 29.7
|}

== Philanthropy ==
In 2002 Klatten founded [[UnternehmerTUM]] as a non-profit organisation at the [[Technical University of Munich]]. The university announced at the time that she would provide start-up funding of about €2.8 million over five years.<ref name="tum02" /><ref name="utum" /> UnternehmerTUM describes itself as Europe's leading centre for innovation and business creation.<ref name="utum" /> [[Altana]] lists her as holding an honorary doctorate of science from the University of Buckingham.<ref name="alt_mgmt" />

== Political activity ==
Klatten has made large donations, mostly to the [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]], that the [[Bundestag]] published under the party-funding rules. On 9 October 2013 she, her mother [[Johanna Quandt]] and her brother [[Stefan Quandt]] each gave €230,000 to the CDU, a total of €690,000, and each also gave €70,000 to the [[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]].<ref name="bt2013" /><ref name="sp13">Der Spiegel, [https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/union-erhaelt-riesenspende-von-bmw-eignern-klatten-und-quandt-a-927871.html CDU erhält Riesenspende von BMW-Großaktionären (CDU receives huge donation from BMW major shareholders)] ''Der Spiegel'', 15 October 2013, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> The CDU payments came weeks after the federal election, and ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' noted that they coincided with Germany's successful push to reopen an EU agreement on car CO2 limits. The lobbying watchdog [[LobbyControl]] criticised the donations.<ref name="sp13" /><ref name="sp13e">Der Spiegel (international edition), [https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/cdu-gets-donation-from-bmw-owners-during-co2-talks-a-927954.html Donation from BMW Owners Raises Eyebrows] ''Spiegel International'', 15 October 2013, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> ''Der Spiegel'' reported that the three had each given the CDU €150,000 after the 2009 election.<ref name="sp13" /> Since 2017 the Bundestag has published further donations from her of between €50,001 and €75,000 a year, mostly to the CDU, the most recent in September 2024.<ref name="bt2017">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2017 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2017 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2017)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2017; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2018">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2018 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2018 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2018)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2018; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2019">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2019 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2019 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2019)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2019; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2020">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2020 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2020 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2020)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2020; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2021">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2021 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2021 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2021)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2021; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2022">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2022 Parteispenden über 50.000 € – Jahr 2022 (Party donations over €50,000 – 2022)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2022; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bt2023" /><ref name="bt2024" /> No donation from her above the publication threshold appears in the Bundestag lists for 2025 or 2026 checked for this profile.<ref name="bt2025">Deutscher Bundestag, [https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/parteienfinanzierung/fundstellen50000/2025 Parteispenden über 35.000 € – Jahr 2025 (Party donations over €35,000 – 2025)] ''Deutscher Bundestag (published under section 25(3) of the Political Parties Act)'', list for 2025; read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Large donations published by the Bundestag (over €50,000 until 2023; over €35,000 from 2024)
! Year !! Party !! Amount (€) !! Date received (as published)
|-
| 2013 || CDU || 230,000 || 9 October
|-
| 2013 || FDP || 70,000 || 9 October
|-
| 2017 || FDP || 50,001 || 23 June
|-
| 2017 || CDU || 50,001 || 26 June
|-
| 2018 || CDU || 50,001 || 2 July
|-
| 2018 || CDU || 75,000 || 25 July
|-
| 2019 || CDU || 50,001 || 10 July
|-
| 2020 || CDU || 50,001 || 1 July
|-
| 2021 || CDU || 50,001 || 1 July (date of publication)
|-
| 2022 || CDU || 50,001 || 29 July
|-
| 2023 || CDU || 50,001 || 30 June
|-
| 2023 || CDU || 75,000 || 21 September
|-
| 2024 || CDU || 50,001 || 3 September
|}

== Controversies and legal issues ==
See the 2013 [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]] donation under [[#Political activity|Political activity]], the Scholtyseck study under [[#Early life and family|Early life and family]], and [[#Blackmail case|Blackmail case]], in which she was the victim.<ref name="sp13" /><ref name="dlf11" /><ref name="sp09" />

== 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 ===
Company level: [[BMW]], of which she is a major shareholder, raised its stake in its Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive to 75% in February 2022 and extended the joint-venture contract to 2040.<ref name="bmw_bba">BMW Group, [https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0367992EN/bmw-group-strengthens-partnership-in-china:-extension-of-joint-venture-contract-until-2040-enters-into-force?language=en BMW Group strengthens partnership in China: Extension of Joint Venture Contract until 2040 enters into force] ''BMW Group PressClub'', 11 February 2022, accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="bmw_sh" />

=== 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 ===
Germany: regular large donations to the [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]] and, in 2013 and 2017, the [[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]], as published by the [[Bundestag]]. The October 2013 family donation to the CDU drew criticism because it coincided with the government's intervention on EU car-emission limits.<ref name="bt2013" /><ref name="bt2017" /><ref name="sp13e" />

=== Other international links ===
No documented involvement found in sources checked.

== See also ==
* [[Stefan Quandt]]
* [[BMW]]
* [[Altana]]

== External links ==
* [https://www.unternehmertum.de/en UnternehmerTUM]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Businesspeople|Klatten, Susanne]]
[[Category:Living people|Klatten, Susanne]]
[[Category:Germany|Klatten, Susanne]]
[[Category:German billionaires|Klatten, Susanne]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Infobox person
 | name = Susanne Klatten
 | birth_date = {{Start date|1962|04|28}} (Forbes)
 | nationality = German

Susanne Klatten - Revision history

Billionaire Bot: Added infobox photograph

Billionaire Bot: New profile (Forbes real-time rank 101–125, 20 Oct 2026); all claims sourced