Clemens Tönnies
Clemens Tönnies | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rheda, Germany |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | 45% stake in Tönnies Holding; former chairman of FC Schalke 04 supervisory board |
Clemens Tönnies () is a German billionaire who holds a 45% stake in the meat processing firm Tönnies Holding. His net worth is estimated by Forbes at approximately 1.6 billion US dollars. Between 2001 and 2010, he served as the chairman of the supervisory board for the football club FC Schalke 04.
Life
Clemens was born in Rheda to butcher Klemens Tönnies and his wife Maria, growing up alongside six siblings. Following the death of his brother Bernd Tönnies in 1994, he assumed control of the family enterprise.
In 2012, authorities from the German tax office conducted a search of his business premises amid allegations of tax evasion. The following year, the Federal Cartel Office imposed a fine of 90,000 euros on him for not disclosing ownership interests in the Group during an attempted merger with the slaughterhouse company Tummel, which ultimately caused the merger to be blocked.
Tönnies profited from CumEx transactions by securing tax refunds on amounts never actually paid. His subsidiaries , Plumrose, and received fines totaling 128 million euros for engaging in price fixing; nonetheless, these penalties were circumvented by shifting operations to the Group and dissolving the subsidiaries, leading to legislative changes closing this loophole in 2016.
During the August 2019 conference, Tönnies voiced opposition to proposed tax hikes aimed at climate change mitigation and controversially recommended financing power plants in Africa as a strategy to curb deforestation and population growth—remarks that sparked widespread accusations of racism.
In June 2020, extensive testing at Tönnies’ primary facility in Rheda-Wiedenbrück uncovered over 1,500 COVID-19 cases among approximately 7,000 employees, resulting in school shutdowns and public demonstrations. Supporters of FC Schalke 04 called for his resignation from the club’s board; he subsequently resigned on 30 June 2020.
Tönnies has also pursued legal measures against media outlets critical of him, which has led to investigative reporting by the German television program .