Jump to content

Karl Albrecht: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →Fortune: Typo fixing, replaced: list list of billionaires → list of billionaires
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|German entrepreneur}}
{{Short description|German entrepreneur (1920–2014)}}
{{similar names|Carl Albrecht (disambiguation)}}
{{similar names|Carl Albrecht (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox person
| name = Karl Albrecht
| name = Karl Albrecht
|birth_name=Karl Hans Albrecht
| birth_name = Karl Hans Albrecht
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|02|20|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|02|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Essen]], [[Rhine Province]], [[Weimar Republic]]
| birth_place = [[Essen]], [[Rhine Province]], [[Weimar Republic]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|07|16|1920|2|20|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|07|16|1920|2|20|df=yes}}
| death_place = Essen, Germany
| death_place = Essen, Germany
| allegiance = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = {{army|Nazi Germany}}
|branch_label = Branch
| serviceyears = 1941-1945
| battles = [[World War II]]
* [[Operation Barbarossa]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| known_for = Co-founder of [[Aldi]]
| known_for = Co-founder of [[Aldi]]
| parents = Anna Siepmann (mother)<br>Karl Albrecht (father)<ref>{{cite web |title=Karl Albrecht: Businessman who with his brother Theo established the |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/karl-albrecht-businessman-who-his-brother-theo-established-aldi-discount-supermarket-chain-global-market-leader-9624371.html |website=www.independent.co.uk |language=en |date=23 July 2014}}</ref>
| spouse = Mia Tenbrink
| spouse = Mia Tenbrink
| children = [[Karl Albrecht Jr.]]<br>[[Beate Heister]]
| children = {{ubl|[[Karl Albrecht Jr.]]|[[Beate Heister]]}}
| relatives = Gabriele Mertes (daughter-in-law)<br>Peter Heister (son-in-law)<br>Peter Max Heister (grandson)<br>[[Theo Albrecht]] (brother)<br>[[Theo Albrecht Jr.]] (nephew)<br>Katje Albrecht (niece)<br>[[Berthold Albrecht]] (nephew)<br>Babette Albrecht (niece)<br>Nicolay Albrecht (great-nephew)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dawkins |first1=David |title=Billionaire Aldi Family Fortune To Hit German Court As Son Sues Mother For Embezzling Funds: Reports |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/09/20/billionaire-aldi-family-fortune-to-hit-german-court-as-son-sues-mother-for-embezzling-funds-reports/?sh=2d091b2121a4 |website=www.forbes.com |language=en}}</ref>
| relatives = {{ubl|[[Theo Albrecht]] (brother)|[[Theo Albrecht Jr.]] (nephew)|[[Berthold Albrecht]] (nephew)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dawkins |first1=David |title=Billionaire Aldi Family Fortune To Hit German Court As Son Sues Mother For Embezzling Funds: Reports |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/09/20/billionaire-aldi-family-fortune-to-hit-german-court-as-son-sues-mother-for-embezzling-funds-reports/?sh=2d091b2121a4 |website=www.forbes.com |language=en}}</ref>}}
}}
}}


'''Karl Hans Albrecht''' ({{IPA-de|ˈalbʁɛçt|lang}}; 20 February 1920 – 16 July 2014) was a German [[entrepreneur]] who founded the discount [[supermarket]] chain [[Aldi]] with his brother [[Theo Albrecht|Theo]]. He was for many years the richest person in Germany. In February 2014, he was ranked the 21st-richest person in the world by [[Hurun Report]].<ref name=HurunReport>{{cite web|title=Hurun Report Global Rich List|access-date=7 August 2016|url=http://hurun.net/EN/HuList.aspx?nid=26/|publisher=Hurun Report|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140821063855/http://hurun.net/EN/HuList.aspx?nid=26/|archive-date=21 August 2014}}</ref>
'''Karl Hans Albrecht''' ({{IPA|de|ˈalbʁɛçt|lang}}; 20 February 1920 – 16 July 2014) was a German [[entrepreneur]] who founded the discount [[supermarket]] chain [[Aldi]] with his brother [[Theo Albrecht|Theo]]. He was the richest person in Germany for many years. In February 2014, he was ranked the 21st-richest person in the world by [[Hurun Report]].<ref name=HurunReport>{{cite web|title=Hurun Report Global Rich List|access-date=7 August 2016|url=http://hurun.net/EN/HuList.aspx?nid=26/|publisher=Hurun Report|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140821063855/http://hurun.net/EN/HuList.aspx?nid=26/|archive-date=21 August 2014}}</ref>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
[[File:Aldi Essen-Schonnebeck.jpg|thumb|upright|left|First Aldi store in Schonnebeck, Essen]]
[[File:Aldi Essen-Schonnebeck.jpg|thumb|upright|left|First Aldi store in Schonnebeck, Essen]]
Karl and Theo Albrecht were born and raised in a [[Catholic]]<ref>[http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1683 "BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) – Frugal to a fault, discounter Aldi expands in the U.S."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312015342/http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1683 |date=12 March 2014 }} by Thomas Schuler, ''The Atlantic Times'', March 2009</ref> family in modest circumstances in [[Essen]], Germany. Their father, Karl Sr, was employed as a [[miner]] and later as a baker's assistant.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Independent|title=The story of Karl Albrecht, the man who destroyed Tesco|last=Paterson|first=Tony|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/the-story-of-karl-albrecht-the-man-who-destroyed-tesco-9621946.html|date=22 July 2014|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> Their mother Anna, née Siepmann, had a small grocery store in the workers' quarter of {{Interlanguage link multi|Schonnebeck|de}}, a suburb of Essen. Theo completed an [[apprenticeship]] in his mother's store, while Karl worked in a [[delicatessen]] shop. Karl served in the [[Wehrmacht]] during [[World War II]] and was wounded on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. After the war, the brothers jointly took over their mother's business and founded Albrecht [[Kommanditgesellschaft|KG]].<ref name="Forbes Profile">{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/profile/karl-albrecht/|title= The World's Billionaires (2012): No. 10 Karl Albrecht|work=[[Forbes]]|date= 3 March 2010 |access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref>
Karl and Theo Albrecht were born and raised in a [[Catholic]]<ref>[http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1683 "BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) – Frugal to a fault, discounter Aldi expands in the U.S."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312015342/http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1683 |date=12 March 2014 }} by Thomas Schuler, ''The Atlantic Times'', March 2009</ref> family in modest circumstances in [[Essen]], Germany. Their father, Karl Sr., worked as a miner and later as a baker's assistant,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Independent|title=The story of Karl Albrecht, the man who destroyed Tesco|last=Paterson|first=Tony|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/the-story-of-karl-albrecht-the-man-who-destroyed-tesco-9621946.html|date=22 July 2014|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> while their mother Anna (née Siepmann) ran a small grocery store in the workers' quarter of {{Interlanguage link multi|Schonnebeck|de}}, a suburb of Essen. Theo completed an [[apprenticeship]] in his mother's store, while Karl worked in a [[delicatessen]] shop. Karl served in the [[Wehrmacht]] during [[World War II]] and was wounded on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. After the war, the brothers jointly took over their mother's business and founded Albrecht [[Kommanditgesellschaft|KG]].<ref name="Forbes Profile">{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/profile/karl-albrecht/|title= The World's Billionaires (2012): No. 10 Karl Albrecht|work=[[Forbes]]|date= 3 March 2010 |access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref>


In 1960, the brothers had a disagreement over whether to stock cigarettes. While Theo wanted to sell them, Karl believed they would attract shoplifters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/long-read-aldi-discount-supermarket-changed-britain-shopping|title=The Aldi effect: how one discount supermarket transformed the way Britain shops|last1=Rice|first1=Xan|date=5 March 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref> As a result, they divided their stores into two parts, with Theo retaining all stores north of the [[Ruhr]], while Karl retained all stores south of the Ruhr. The first Aldi (short for Albrecht Discount) was opened in 1962, and the two groups became known as Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, respectively.<ref>Diekmann, Florian (21 July 2014). [http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/karl-albrecht-nachruf-auf-den-gruender-von-aldi-und-discount-erfinder-a-982116.html "Nachruf auf den Gründer von Aldi und Discount-erfinder"]. ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' (obituary) {{in lang|de}}</ref>
In 1960, the brothers faced a disagreement over whether to stock cigarettes in their stores. While Theo advocated for selling cigarettes, Karl expressed concerns that they would attract shoplifters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/long-read-aldi-discount-supermarket-changed-britain-shopping|title=The Aldi effect: how one discount supermarket transformed the way Britain shops|last1=Rice|first1=Xan|date=5 March 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref> As a result, they decided to divide their stores into two parts: Theo retained all stores north of the [[Ruhr]], while Karl retained those south of the Ruhr. This division led to the opening of the first Aldi (short for Albrecht Discount) in 1962, and the two groups became known as Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, respectively.<ref>Diekmann, Florian (21 July 2014). [http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/karl-albrecht-nachruf-auf-den-gruender-von-aldi-und-discount-erfinder-a-982116.html "Nachruf auf den Gründer von Aldi und Discount-erfinder"]. ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' (obituary) {{in lang|de}}</ref>


[[File:Aldi_world_map.png|thumb|180px|Aldi around the world, (blue = Aldi north, orange = Aldi south)]]
[[File:Aldi world map.png|thumb|180px|Aldi around the world (blue = Aldi north, orange = Aldi south)]]
In 1994, Karl Albrecht removed himself from the daily operations of Aldi Süd and took the position of [[chairman of the board]] until 2002. At the beginning of 2002, he also relinquished this position, thereby completely ceding control of the firm. As of 2010s, the business is no longer run by any of Karl Albrecht's family members.<ref>[http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/-aldi-bruederlich-vereint/4777774.html "ALDi Brüderlich vereint"] by Mario Brück, ''[[Wirtschaftswoche]]'', 29 April 2003</ref>
In 1994, Karl Albrecht removed himself from the daily operations of Aldi Süd and took the position of [[chairman of the board]] until 2002. At the beginning of 2002, he also relinquished this position, thereby completely ceding control of the firm. As of 2010s, the business is no longer run by any of Karl Albrecht's family members.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}


===Personal life===
===Personal life===
Karl Albrecht was a very reclusive man, who had not taken part in public life for several years prior to his death. As a result, little is known about him. ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine reported that he had two children, neither of whom was employed by Aldi. He reportedly lived in Essen, as did his brother Theo until the latter's death. Golf was one of his hobbies, and Albrecht played the sport on his own [[golf course]], the Öschberghof, which he built in 1976. He also raised [[orchids]].<ref name="Forbes Profile" />
Karl Albrecht was a very reclusive man who had not taken part in public life for several years prior to his death. As a result, little is known about him. ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine reported that he had two children, neither of whom was employed by Aldi. He reportedly lived in Essen, as did his brother Theo until the latter's death. Golf was one of his hobbies, and Albrecht played the sport on his own [[golf course]], the Öschberghof, which he built in 1976. He also raised [[orchids]].<ref name="Forbes Profile" />


== Fortune ==
== Fortune ==


In 2014, Albrecht was listed as one of the richest people in the world with an estimated [[net worth]] of {{USD|23.14 billion}}.<ref>[http://www.lsa-conso.fr/carnet-des-decideurs/albrecht-karl,131893 Karl Albrecht], ''LSA Conso'', 22 July 2014.</ref> ''Forbes'' magazine listed him as the 3rd richest man in the world in 2004.<ref name=2004ForbesRank>{{cite web|title=Gates Still World's Richest Man - 2004-02-27|access-date=19 July 2021|url=https://www.voanews.com/archive/gates-still-worlds-richest-man-2004-02-27|publisher=Voice of America}}</ref> In 2012, with an estimated net worth in 2011 of {{USD|25.4 billion}}, the magazine ranked him 10th on its [[list of billionaires]]&nbsp;– making him the oldest billionaire in the Top 20 list.<ref name="Forbes Profile" /> Upon his death, Albrecht was named the richest person in Germany,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/billionaire-aldi-brother-kept-it-simple-to-the-end-1.1878114 |last=Scally |first=Derek |date=28 July 2014 |title=Billionaire Aldi brother kept it simple to the end |work=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=10 January 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803071358/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/billionaire-aldi-brother-kept-it-simple-to-the-end-1.1878114 |archive-date=3 August 2019}}</ref> and the fourth-richest in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html|title= The World's Billionaires (2010): 1–24|work=[[Forbes]]|date= 3 March 2010 |access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref>
In 2014, Albrecht was listed as one of the richest people in the world with an estimated [[net worth]] of {{USD|23.14 billion}}.<ref>[http://www.lsa-conso.fr/carnet-des-decideurs/albrecht-karl,131893 Karl Albrecht], ''LSA Conso'', 22 July 2014.</ref> ''Forbes'' magazine listed him as the third richest man in the world in 2004.<ref name=2004ForbesRank>{{cite web|title=Gates Still World's Richest Man - 2004-02-27|access-date=19 July 2021|url=https://www.voanews.com/archive/gates-still-worlds-richest-man-2004-02-27|publisher=Voice of America}}</ref> In 2012, with an estimated net worth in 2011 of {{USD|25.4 billion}}, the magazine ranked him tenth on its [[list of billionaires]]&nbsp;– making him the oldest billionaire in the Top 20 list.<ref name="Forbes Profile" /> Upon his death, Albrecht was named the richest person in Germany,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/billionaire-aldi-brother-kept-it-simple-to-the-end-1.1878114 |last=Scally |first=Derek |date=28 July 2014 |title=Billionaire Aldi brother kept it simple to the end |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=10 January 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803071358/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/billionaire-aldi-brother-kept-it-simple-to-the-end-1.1878114 |archive-date=3 August 2019}}</ref> and the fourth-richest in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html|title= The World's Billionaires (2010): 1–24|work=[[Forbes]]|date= 3 March 2010 |access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 45: Line 38:


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2014/07/21/richest-man-in-germany-grocery-king-dies-at-age-94/ ''Forbes'' topic page on Karl Albrecht]
* [https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2014/07/21/richest-man-in-germany-grocery-king-dies-at-age-94/ ''Forbes'' topic page on Karl Albrecht]
*[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/karl-albrecht-businessman-who-with-his-brother-theo-established-the-aldi-discount-supermarket-chain-as-a-global-market-leader-9624371.html Obituary] in [[The Independent]] by [[Marcus Williamson]]
* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/karl-albrecht-businessman-who-with-his-brother-theo-established-the-aldi-discount-supermarket-chain-as-a-global-market-leader-9624371.html Obituary] in [[The Independent]] by [[Marcus Williamson]]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
Line 53: Line 46:
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Albrecht family|Karl]]
[[Category:German Army soldiers of World War II]]
[[Category:German businesspeople in retailing]]
[[Category:German businesspeople in retailing]]
[[Category:German billionaires]]
[[Category:German billionaires]]
[[Category:German company founders]]
[[Category:German company founders]]
[[Category:20th-century German businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century German businesspeople]]
[[Category:German Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Essen]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Essen]]
[[Category:People from the Rhine Province]]
[[Category:People from the Rhine Province]]

Latest revision as of 19:54, 30 August 2024

For other people with similar names, see Carl Albrecht (disambiguation).

Karl Albrecht
Born
Karl Hans Albrecht

(1920-02-20)20 February 1920
Essen, Rhine Province, Weimar Republic
Died16 July 2014(2014-07-16) (aged 94)
Essen, Germany
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forCo-founder of Aldi
SpouseMia Tenbrink
Children
Relatives

Karl Hans Albrecht (German: [ˈalbʁɛçt]; 20 February 1920 – 16 July 2014) was a German entrepreneur who founded the discount supermarket chain Aldi with his brother Theo. He was the richest person in Germany for many years. In February 2014, he was ranked the 21st-richest person in the world by Hurun Report.[2]

Biography

[edit]
First Aldi store in Schonnebeck, Essen

Karl and Theo Albrecht were born and raised in a Catholic[3] family in modest circumstances in Essen, Germany. Their father, Karl Sr., worked as a miner and later as a baker's assistant,[4] while their mother Anna (née Siepmann) ran a small grocery store in the workers' quarter of Schonnebeck [de], a suburb of Essen. Theo completed an apprenticeship in his mother's store, while Karl worked in a delicatessen shop. Karl served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and was wounded on the Eastern Front. After the war, the brothers jointly took over their mother's business and founded Albrecht KG.[5]

In 1960, the brothers faced a disagreement over whether to stock cigarettes in their stores. While Theo advocated for selling cigarettes, Karl expressed concerns that they would attract shoplifters.[6] As a result, they decided to divide their stores into two parts: Theo retained all stores north of the Ruhr, while Karl retained those south of the Ruhr. This division led to the opening of the first Aldi (short for Albrecht Discount) in 1962, and the two groups became known as Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, respectively.[7]

Aldi around the world (blue = Aldi north, orange = Aldi south)

In 1994, Karl Albrecht removed himself from the daily operations of Aldi Süd and took the position of chairman of the board until 2002. At the beginning of 2002, he also relinquished this position, thereby completely ceding control of the firm. As of 2010s, the business is no longer run by any of Karl Albrecht's family members.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]

Karl Albrecht was a very reclusive man who had not taken part in public life for several years prior to his death. As a result, little is known about him. Forbes magazine reported that he had two children, neither of whom was employed by Aldi. He reportedly lived in Essen, as did his brother Theo until the latter's death. Golf was one of his hobbies, and Albrecht played the sport on his own golf course, the Öschberghof, which he built in 1976. He also raised orchids.[5]

Fortune

[edit]

In 2014, Albrecht was listed as one of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of US$23.14 billion.[8] Forbes magazine listed him as the third richest man in the world in 2004.[9] In 2012, with an estimated net worth in 2011 of US$25.4 billion, the magazine ranked him tenth on its list of billionaires – making him the oldest billionaire in the Top 20 list.[5] Upon his death, Albrecht was named the richest person in Germany,[10] and the fourth-richest in Europe.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dawkins, David. "Billionaire Aldi Family Fortune To Hit German Court As Son Sues Mother For Embezzling Funds: Reports". www.forbes.com.
  2. ^ "Hurun Report Global Rich List". Hurun Report. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  3. ^ "BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) – Frugal to a fault, discounter Aldi expands in the U.S." Archived 12 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine by Thomas Schuler, The Atlantic Times, March 2009
  4. ^ Paterson, Tony (22 July 2014). "The story of Karl Albrecht, the man who destroyed Tesco". The Independent. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "The World's Billionaires (2012): No. 10 Karl Albrecht". Forbes. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  6. ^ Rice, Xan (5 March 2019). "The Aldi effect: how one discount supermarket transformed the way Britain shops". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  7. ^ Diekmann, Florian (21 July 2014). "Nachruf auf den Gründer von Aldi und Discount-erfinder". Der Spiegel (obituary) (in German)
  8. ^ Karl Albrecht, LSA Conso, 22 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Gates Still World's Richest Man - 2004-02-27". Voice of America. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  10. ^ Scally, Derek (28 July 2014). "Billionaire Aldi brother kept it simple to the end". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  11. ^ "The World's Billionaires (2010): 1–24". Forbes. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karl_Albrecht&oldid=1243146236"