Top Universities Where Germany's Billionaires Earned Their Degrees
Germany boasts a remarkable number of approximately 130 billionaires, yet only 40 of them have pursued their education at domestic universities. A recent analysis conducted by a study portal reveals insights into the educational backgrounds of these affluent individuals, highlighting a particular institution in Southern Germany that stands out as the leader.
At the lower end of the ranking compiled by Studying-in-Germany.org is the University of Saarland, which counts two notable billionaires among its alumni. Hans-Werner Hector, co-founder of the software giant SAP, studied mathematics at this institution and has an estimated wealth of around EUR2.2 billion. Another alumnus is Thomann Bruch, who pursued business administration and is the owner of the Globus DIY store chain, with a current fortune of approximately EUR1.4 billion.
The RWTH Aachen University also features two billionaires among its former students. Otto Happel, who once owned the GEA Group specializing in dust extraction systems, earned a doctorate in engineering there and is worth about EUR2.9 billion. Peter Leibinger, chairman of the board at Trumpf, studied mechanical engineering at RWTH and has an estimated net worth of EUR1.7 billion.
Three billionaires are linked to Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). Georg Näder, head of the orthotics company Otto Bock, studied business administration and has a fortune of EUR2.5 billion. Martin Viessmann, the former CEO of the Viessmann Group specializing in heating technology, also studied at FAU and possesses approximately EUR2.4 billion. Eva Braun-Lüdicke, now a digital campaign manager at B. Braun, earned a master's degree in American studies there, with her wealth estimated at EUR1.5 billion.
The wealthiest billionaire with a university degree attended the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Stefan Quandt, a major shareholder in BMW, has an estimated fortune of around EUR20 billion and studied industrial engineering and management at KIT. Notable figures Hasso Plattner (EUR13.6 billion) and Dietmar Hopp (EUR4.8 billion), co-founders of SAP, also pursued studies in communications engineering at KIT.
Another university that has produced three billionaires is the University of Passau. The wealthiest of them, Anna Katharina Viessmann, daughter of the former CEO of Viessmann, graduated with a bachelor's degree in International Cultural and Business Studies, boasting a current fortune of approximately EUR3.5 billion. Friederike Braun-Lüdicke, who studied the same field and leads diversity initiatives at B. Braun, has a wealth estimated at EUR1.5 billion. Alfred Oetker, co-head of Oetker Group, holds a degree in economics from Passau, with his net worth around EUR2 billion.
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) is another prestigious institution frequented by billionaires. Hubert Burda and Stefan von Holtzbrinck, both significant players in the media and publishing sector, are alumni. Burda, who studied art history, has a net worth of EUR3.3 billion, while von Holtzbrinck, who studied law and literature, is valued at EUR4.7 billion. Julia Thiele-Schürhoff, daughter of the former CEO of Knorr-Bremse AG, also graduated in law, with her wealth around EUR2.8 billion.
Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg has produced several billionaires, including Lutz Mario Helmig, a renowned surgeon and entrepreneur who studied medicine there, amassing a fortune of approximately EUR2.8 billion. Andreas Strüngmann, whose wealth is estimated at $11 billion, studied medicine at Freiburg and co-founded the generics manufacturer Hexal, later becoming one of the initial investors in BioNTech, the firm behind the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Nicola Leibinger-Kammueller, president of Trumpf, also studied German and English at Freiburg, with a net worth of EUR1.7 billion.
Leading the ranking, however, is the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the most frequented university by German billionaires. Five of them studied at TUM, including Georg Nemetschek, founder of the eponymous construction software company, who has a fortune of EUR4.7 billion and studied civil engineering. Hans Langer, a physicist and founder of the 3D printing firm EOS Group, attended TUM as well. The founders of Celonis, Bastian Nominacher, Alexander Rinke, and Martin Klenk, who developed their process mining software during their studies, also have ties to this prestigious institution.