Henning Conle
Henning Conle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Occupation | Property investor |
| Known for | Control of prime London real estate; financing Alternative for Germany (AfD) |
Henning Conle (born February 1944) is a billionaire property investor of German-Swiss origin, currently residing in the United Kingdom.
Conle exercises control over nearly £2 billion worth of prime London real estate through Sirosa, a company registered in Liechtenstein. His portfolio includes notable assets such as the Liberty of London building, Kensington Roof Gardens, Manchester United’s London headquarters, and Shell Mex House located on the Strand.
Within Germany, Conle reportedly owns more than 10,000 properties and possessed up to 2,500 apartments in Hamburg during the 1990s. He is recognized domestically for contentious property management practices and disputes with tenants.
In 2013, Conle purchased Kensington Roof Gardens for £225 million via Cartina Kensington Ltd, an entity registered in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Sirosa. This bid exceeded the closest competitor, Qatar Investment Authority, by £25 million.
There has been speculation that Conle might be representing Russian investors; nonetheless, representatives from Sirosa have denied such claims.
In 2018, investigations connected Conle to unlawful financing activities related to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) donation scandal, particularly involving support for politician Alice Weidel.
Conle also holds ownership of Strandbrook, a British-registered company. He remained listed as a registered officer until March 2025, with his daughter Johanna Conle currently serving in an active role.
The Sunday Times Rich List valued his fortune at approximately £1.168 billion in 2020.
Financing of AfD
Henning Conle has provided financial backing to the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), contributing €132,000 through intermediaries during the 2017 federal election campaign supporting AfD parliamentary leader Alice Weidel. These donations were concealed via Swiss channels and are associated with the AfD donation controversy.
Former AfD leader Frauke Petry disclosed that Conle offered financial support as early as 2015 but wished to remain anonymous—a practice prohibited under German legislation. Petry met with Conle multiple times between 2015 and 2016 in Leipzig and Zurich. Reports mention a meeting in Switzerland that allegedly involved AfD co-leader Jörg Meuthen; he denies attending this meeting, and the Bundestag administration declared any donation to him unlawful.