Billionaires currently dominate the media in terms of content. Elon Musk would like to be the real president of the USA, and Jeff Bezos is making headlines with his upcoming three-day wedding in Venice. But what about the people in Germany, the “ordinary folks”?
Five percent of the population, represented in this graphic, will be anything but satisfied with their financial situation. Their net wealth is in the negative range. However, this fact should be treated with caution: if the portfolio has a market value of 200,000 euros, but the property still has an outstanding debt of 220,000 euros, the net wealth ends up at minus 20,000 euros. Nevertheless, this is likely to be the exception – the mentioned five percent are in most cases without assets and only in debt. Happier are those who represent the Federal Republic’s average. This group is not rich, but with a balance of 22,800 euros, they have a certain safety cushion.
Rich and yet no money – the inherited property
The definition of wealth by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) starts at a net wealth of 200,000 euros. The single-family homes built in the late 1950s and 1960s are now often located in prime locations. The substance value is rather low, but the land quickly reaches a value well above 200,000 euros. If people working in the low-wage sector inherit such a property from their parents, they are considered “rich” according to DIW – yet they may lack the money to renovate the facade or make the house energy-efficient. This example shows that wealth is not just a definition of net assets.
The richest Germans have remained among themselves for years
The families of the richest Germans have defied all economic crises for decades. While small business owners and medium-sized entrepreneurs have to file for bankruptcy due to economic downturns, the financial cushions of the monetary elites are thick enough to cushion difficulties.
The Albrecht families know: people will always eat. And the lower the income, the more important the discount store becomes. The Albrecht families do not even take the top spot in Germany. Dieter Schwarz, founder and owner of the Schwarz Group with Kaufland and Netto, was at the top in April 2025 according to Forbes, with 41.2 billion US dollars. Klaus-Michael Kühne, majority owner of the forwarding company Kühne and Nagel, followed in second place.
The Klatten and Quandt families, virtually the BMW dynasty, are also among the leaders, as is the construction machinery Würth family. The family of Andreas von Bechtolsheim is also among the ten richest families in Germany, although his name is unknown to many. Andreas von Bechtolsheim was one of the founders of Sun Microsystems.
The wealth of the top 0.1 percent of the richest Germans cannot be determined
The wealth of small savers who invest their money in overnight or fixed-term deposits can be determined to the cent. For people who invest in stocks, it becomes a bit more difficult. The club of billionaires, however, not only has fixed-income investments or stock packages, but also productive or current assets.
Example: The Albrecht families. The inventory of ALDI is part of the company branches. When goods are purchased, assets initially decrease because money flows out and goods flow in, which balance out in value. When the goods are sold at a higher price than they were purchased for, the assets increase again. In addition, there are payment terms with suppliers that are after the sales period. This results in additional interest gains.
It is therefore not easy to determine the actual wealth in these dimensions on a daily basis. Therefore, a high confidence interval is indicated. For explanation: the confidence interval gives a probable value that is determined based on statistics – not concrete data.
The long-term outlook
Unless an economic crisis with effects similar to those of the early 1920s occurs, the distribution of wealth will change little. However, experts point out that the gap between rich and poor in Germany is widening again.
The “Willy Brandt years” with a rapprochement are, according to journalist Jens Berger, over. Children of academics are once again dominating universities, and poverty and wealth are once again distributed more by gender – women are more likely to represent poverty (Source: swr.de)
