Ursula Bechtolsheimer-Kipp
Ursula Bechtolsheimer-Kipp | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Heiress, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Chairwoman of Tschuggen Hotel Group |
Ursula Bechtolsheimer-Kipp (born November 1951) is a German billionaire heiress and entrepreneur. She is the sole daughter of Karl-Heinz Kipp, the German retail magnate who established the Massa department store chain. Upon her father's passing in October 2017, Ursula inherited a significant portion of his wealth.
She was married to Dr. Wilfried Bechtolsheimer. Together, their combined net worth is estimated at around £1 billion, as reported by the Sunday Times Rich List.
Early life
Born in Germany, Bechtolsheimer-Kipp is one of two children born to Karl-Heinz and Hannelore Kipp. Her father amassed his fortune through retail and property ventures, launching the Massa department store chain in 1965 before selling it two decades later in 1985.
Her brother, Ernst-Ludwig Kipp, passed away in 2003, leaving behind seven children.
Tschuggen Hotel Group
Ursula assumed the role of chairwoman at the Tschuggen Hotel Group in 2016 after many years of hands-on involvement, according to Forbes.
The Tschuggen Hotel Group, founded in 1980 by Karl-Heinz Kipp, is a luxury resort operator possessing several European properties, including the Tschuggen Grand Hotel located in Arosa and the all-suite Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Horse breeding
Ursula and her late husband Wilfried managed a horse breeding and training facility based in Gloucestershire.
Personal life
Dr. Wilfried Bechtolsheimer died on April 8, 2020, at age 71 in Ascona, Switzerland.
The couple had four children: three sons and one daughter. Their eldest son Felix performs with the gothic band Curse of Lono. Another son, Gotz, serves as an academic at the University of Pennsylvania. Their youngest son Till (born 1982), a former professional racing driver, founded Arosa Capital Management, an investment firm headquartered in New York.
Their daughter Laura Tomlinson (née Bechtolsheimer), a British dressage competitor, earned two medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2013, she wed English polo professional Mark Tomlinson; their wedding was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as the Duke of Sussex.
In the late 1980s, Bechtolsheimer-Kipp moved her family from Germany to Gloucestershire and now resides in Switzerland.