Johanna Quandt
Johanna Maria Quandt | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 21, 1926 Germany |
| Died | August 3, 2015 (aged 89) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businesswoman |
| Known for | Major shareholder of BMW, deputy chairwoman of BMW supervisory board |
Johanna Maria Quandt (; 21 June 1926 – 3 August 2015) was a prominent German billionaire entrepreneur and the widow of industrialist Herbert Quandt. At the time of her passing, she was recognized as the eighth wealthiest individual in Germany, the wealthiest woman in the country, ranked seventy-seventh worldwide, and held the position of the eleventh richest woman globally according to Forbes.
Career at BMW
In the 1950s, Johanna Bruhn started her career as a secretary in the office of Herbert Quandt, who would later become her husband. She advanced to become his personal assistant before their marriage in 1960. After Herbert Quandt died in 1982, she inherited a substantial stake in BMW and remained on its supervisory board until her retirement in 1997, serving for many years as deputy chairwoman. At the time of her death, she possessed a 16.7% ownership share in BMW.
The Silence of the Quandts
The documentary titled The Silence of the Quandts exposed the family's industrial activities during World War II, highlighting their factories’ use of forced labor. A subsequent independent study, financed by the family, affirmed that the Quandts were deeply entangled with Nazi-era crimes. Nonetheless, as of 2008, no reparations or memorials had been established at the former factory locations. It is important to note that BMW itself was not implicated by these investigations.
Personal life
Johanna Quandt's children, Stefan and Susanne, hold significant shares in BMW and participate on its supervisory board. In 1978, law enforcement successfully prevented an attempted kidnapping targeting both Johanna and Susanne. Johanna lived a private life in Bad Homburg.
In 2007, a German television program detailed the Quandt family’s business operations during World War II, which led them to commission independent historical research into their involvement during the Nazi period.
By August 2014, the family's net worth was estimated at $46.3 billion. Johanna Quandt died at age 89 at her residence in Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt am Main.
She founded the Johanna Quandt Stiftung, an organization dedicated to promoting education and awards within business journalism. In recognition of her achievements, she was honored with the Grand Cross of Merit in 2009.