Harald Link
Harald Link | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 12, 1955 Basel, Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, industrialist, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Known for | Chairman, CEO, and proprietor of B.Grimm |
Harald Link (born 12 January 1955) is a businessman, industrialist, and philanthropist holding dual Thai-German nationality. He serves as the chairman, CEO, and proprietor of B.Grimm, headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. As of , his net worth is valued at approximately US$3.3 billion.
In 2020, Link was listed among Thailand's wealthiest individuals and featured on the global Forbes billionaire rankings.
Early life and education
Harald Link was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Monika (Ruedt) and Dr. Gerhard Link, and spent his childhood in Lübeck, Germany. He completed an MBA at the University of St. Gallen in 1978. Later, in 2016, he was honored with an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.
Career
In 1978, Link began working alongside his uncle to manage the family enterprise B.Grimm in Bangkok, a company originally acquired by his grandfather Adolf Link in 1914. Since 1987, he has held the positions of chairman and CEO.
Under his leadership, B.Grimm Power PCL went public on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in July 2017, trading under the ticker BGRIM. The firm is a prominent regional force in renewable energy sectors including hydroelectric, solar, and wind power projects.
In June 2018, Link unveiled Southeast Asia's largest solar energy facility located in Vietnam during an event attended by the prime ministers of Thailand and Vietnam.
Since 1998, he has contributed as an independent board member for Siam Cement Group and True Corporation. Additionally, he holds the presidency of the South-east Asian Equestrian Federation.
Philanthropy
Among Link’s philanthropic endeavors is The Little Scientist House, a German-origin science education initiative that has expanded to over 13,000 schools throughout Thailand. He joined the Council of the Thai Red Cross Society in 2010. In 2014, B.Grimm partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to aid conservation efforts aimed at restoring Thailand’s tiger population.
For his efforts to enhance German-Thai trade and economic ties, Link was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class by Ambassador Dr. Hanns-Heinrich Schumacher.
Political donations
Harald Link contributed 100,000 Euro each to Germany’s Free Democratic Party, a center-right liberal political party, in August 2021 and November 2024.
Personal life
He is the founder of Thailand’s largest polo facility, the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club located in Pattaya. Married since April 1981 to a princess from Liechtenstein, they have two children—Felix and Caroline—both born in Bangkok. Felix oversees the group’s real estate operations while Caroline is being groomed for future leadership within the family business.