Who Is Susanne Klatten? BMW Heiress, Net Worth & Startup Investments
Updated: Oct 12
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This is the first blog post in a while where we cover DACH billionaires involved in the tech and startup scene.
This article is part of our coverage of Media, Podcasts and Platform Strategy for Startups in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Susanne Klatten: A Visionary Billionaire Shaping Legacy Beyond Wealth Startuprad.io brings you independent coverage of the key developments shaping the startup and venture capital landscape across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Susanne Hanna Ursula Klatten was born on April 28, 1962, in Bad Homburg, Germany to Johanna Quandt and Herbert Quandt, a wealthy German industrialist. She inherited a substantial fortune from her father, Herbert Quandt, who played a pivotal role in saving BMW. Large shareholders tried to merge BMW at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in December 1959 with Mercedes, because the company was struggling. Herbert Quandt got the turnaround plan approved at the AGM 1960 and led the successful turnaround.
Growing up in a wealthy family, Susanne Klatten was exposed to business early on. Her father’s legacy and the Quandt family’s ties to the automotive industry shaped her future.
After gaining a degree in business finance, Susanne Klatten honed her skills at the advertising agency Young & Rubicam in Frankfurt from 1981 to 1983 where she completed an apprenticeship. She furthered her education by pursuing course studies in marketing and management at the University of Buckingham.
She also earns an MBA from IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland specializing in advertising. Susanne Klatten gained practical experience in London, working with institutions such as Dresdner Bank, the Munich branch of management consultants McKinsey, and Bankhaus Reuschel & Co. She sometimes worked under the pseudonym Susanne Kant.
Susanne Klatten’s investments and business ventures, focusing on BMW, Altana, and her interest in sustainable energy:
Susanne Klatten inherited a stake of about 12.5% in BMW from her father, Herbert Quandt, in 1982. Her stake grew further after her mother, Johanna Quandt, died in 2015; together with her brother Stefan Quandt she controls close to half of BMW's voting rights. Her connection to BMW runs deep, and she actively contributes to the company’s governance and strategic oversight. In 1997, Susanne Klatten joined the supervisory board of BMW alongside her brother, Stefan Quandt. Her responsibilities included compliance, risk management, and monitoring the company’s operations.
Susanne Klatten, as a member of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG, held significant responsibilities related to governance and oversight. Here are the key aspects of her role:
Susanne Klatten ensured that all provisions of law and international regulations were adhered to. She played a crucial role in implementing an appropriate risk management and risk-controlling system within BMW. Regular reporting to the Supervisory Board was part of her responsibilities. As a representative of BMW, she deals with external parties. Her role involved representing the company’s interests in various contexts. Susanne Klatten actively monitored the company’s operations and performance. She contributed to strategic decisions and provided oversight. She participated in committees within the Supervisory Board, including the Nomination Committee.
BMW also owns the brands Mini and Rolls Royce.
After her father’s death, Susanne Klatten inherited his 50.1% stake in Altana, a pharmaceutical and chemicals manufacturer. She didn’t merely hold this inheritance; she actively shaped Altana’s trajectory. In 2006, Altana AG divested its pharmaceutical activities to Nycomed for a staggering €4.5 billion. The proceeds were distributed to shareholders as a dividend. Altana continued as a specialty chemicals business, and Susanne Klatten remained its majority shareholder. Through her wholly owned entities Altana and SKion, Susanne Klatten holds a 46% stake in Landa Digital Printing. Founded by Israeli entrepreneur Benny Landa, this company specializes in digital printing and nanotechnology.
Between 2008 and 2010, Klatten's family office SKion took Altana fully private through tender offers. Altana is now wholly owned by SKion and operates four divisions (BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS and ACTEGA), with revenue of €3.17 billion in 2024. SKion is also the largest shareholder of SGL Carbon (28.55%), whose Supervisory Board Klatten chaired from 2013 to 2023. In June 2024, more than 99% of SKion's ownership passed to the next generation of the family; Klatten remains Managing Director.
She diversified her portfolio by investing in SGL Carbon, a company specializing in carbon and graphite materials. SGL Carbon plays a crucial role in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy. Susanne Klatten’s passion for sustainable energy led her to invest in wind farms and solar energy projects. These ventures align with her commitment to environmental conservation and clean energy solutions.
Her investments span the automotive industry, specialty chemicals, and sustainable energy. Her strategic vision and active involvement have left an indelible mark on these ventures.
Susanne Klatten is actively involved in philanthropic endeavors. She established the SK Foundation to focus on education, science, and culture. The foundation provides scholarships to deserving students, enabling them to pursue higher education. Susanne Klatten actively supports research projects across various disciplines, fostering scientific progress. The foundation contributes to cultural preservation efforts, recognizing the importance of heritage and artistic expression. She actively supports the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Her contributions extend beyond business and wealth, emphasizing civic duty and public service.
Since 2005, Susanne Klatten has been a part of the University Council of the Technical University of Munich. Her engagement in educational institutions demonstrates her commitment to advancing knowledge and learning. This also includes backing to UnternehmerTUM an entity to educate entrepreneurs, which played an important role in establishing Munich as a leading tech hub in Europe. You can learn more about UnternehmerTUM in our interview with them:
In recognition of her philanthropic efforts, Susanne Klatten was awarded the Bayerischer Verdienstorden, which is the Bavarian Order of Merit. Her impact extends beyond financial contributions -she actively shapes education and research.
Susanne Klatten, despite her immense wealth, maintains a low profile, avoiding unnecessary public attention. She was married to Swiss entrepreneur Jan Klatten, and the couple has three children. The couple split in 2018. Their lives remain largely shielded from the public eye, emphasizing her commitment to privacy and discretion.
Susanne Klatten's Wealth and Ranking in 2026
In manager magazin's 2026 ranking of the 500 richest Germans, Susanne Klatten and her brother Stefan Quandt place fourth, with an estimated combined fortune of about €33.3 billion, down from €36.1 billion a year earlier. The magazine lists the siblings jointly and publishes no separate figure for Klatten. Listed holdings were valued at closing prices on September 15, 2026 (as reported by t-online on October 7, 2026). The estimate moves largely with the BMW share price. What it does not show is how the capital is used: through SKion and UnternehmerTUM, Klatten has spent two decades putting industrial wealth into German deep tech and founder education.
Bloomberg's Billionaires Index estimated Susanne Klatten's individual net worth at US$28.3 billion in May 2024. Estimates differ by publisher, method and currency, and they move largely with the BMW share price.
Susanne Klatten’s remarkable journey- from heiress to influential
businesswoman -serves as an inspiration, and her impact extends beyond financial success.
Susanne Klatten inherited a stake of about 12.5% in BMW from her father, Herbert Quandt, in 1982.
This article covers a significant development in the DACH startup and venture capital ecosystem.
The DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) continues to be one of Europe's most dynamic startup markets.
Reach the DACH Mittelstand and family-office capital audience
If you're a DACH founder building in the categories Klatten capital touches — deep tech, mobility, BMW-adjacent industrial infrastructure, Mittelstand modernization — and you want your story in front of the readership tracking the Klatten / Quandt family-office pattern, partner with Startuprad.io. Our DACH family-office readership maps onto the founder, M&A advisor, and corporate-strategy audience reading at this seam.
Quote Highlights
Susanne Klatten, BMW heiress and one of Germany's wealthiest people, is a visionary billionaire shaping legacy beyond wealth through strategic startup and innovation investments.
After her father’s death, Susanne Klatten inherited his 50.1% stake in Altana and actively shaped the company’s trajectory, divesting pharmaceutical activities for €4.5 billion.
Klatten’s passion for sustainable energy led her to invest in wind energy companies and SGL Carbon, spanning automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy sectors.
Through UnternehmerTUM, Klatten supports startup founders and innovation in the DACH ecosystem, bridging established industry with entrepreneurial ventures.
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What are the key facts about Susanne Klatten: Visionary Billionaire Shaping?
This is the first blog post in a while where we cover DACH billionaires involved in the tech and startup scene.
How does this affect the German startup ecosystem?
Growing up in a wealthy family, Susanne Klatten was exposed to business early on. Her father’s legacy and the Quandt family’s ties to the automotive industry shaped her future.
What are the latest startup funding trends in the DACH region?
Startuprad.io tracks venture capital and startup funding across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Explore our pillar coverage pages for the latest data.
About the Host
Joern Menninger is the host of the Startuprad.io podcast and covers founders, investors, and policy developments across the DACH startup ecosystem. Through more than 1,300 interviews and nearly a decade of reporting, he documents the evolution of the European startup landscape. Follow Joern on LinkedIn.
Relationship Map
Susanne Klatten
→ full name → Susanne Hanna Ursula Klatten
→ born → 28 April 1962, Bad Homburg, Germany
→ daughter of → Herbert Quandt + Johanna Quandt
→ sibling of → Stefan Quandt
→ inherited → stake of about 12.5% in BMW (from Herbert Quandt, 1982)
→ co-controls → BMW with Stefan Quandt (close to half of voting rights; her stake grew after Johanna Quandt's death in 2015)
→ inherited → 50.1% stake in Altana (from Herbert Quandt; taken fully private by SKion 2008–2010)
→ Managing Director of → SKion GmbH (family office; more than 99% of ownership transferred to the next generation, June 2024)
→ held → stake in Landa Digital Printing via Altana + SKion (invested 2018; exited 2025)
→ largest shareholder via SKion → SGL Carbon (28.55%; chaired its Supervisory Board 2013–2023)
→ invested in → wind farms + solar energy projects
→ founded → SK Foundation (education, science, culture)
→ supports → Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
→ awarded → Bayerischer Verdienstorden (Bavarian Order of Merit)
→ net worth → US$28.3 billion, individual estimate (Bloomberg Billionaires Index, May 2024)
→ ranked → No. 4 in manager magazin's 2026 list of the 500 richest Germans, jointly with Stefan Quandt (about €33.3 billion combined; valued 15 September 2026)
→ ex-spouse of → Jan Klatten (Swiss entrepreneur; separated 2018)
→ has → 3 children
→ used pseudonym → Susanne Kant (early-career)
Susanne Klatten — Education + Early Career
→ studied → business finance (degree)
→ apprenticed at → Young & Rubicam (Frankfurt, 1981–1983)
→ studied → marketing + management at University of Buckingham
→ earned → MBA at IMD Business School (Lausanne, Switzerland)
→ trained at → Dresdner Bank (London)
→ trained at → McKinsey (Munich branch)
→ trained at → Bankhaus Reuschel & Co.
Susanne Klatten — Governance + Education roles
→ joined → BMW Supervisory Board (1997, alongside Stefan Quandt)
→ serves on → University Council of Technical University of Munich (TUM, since 2005)
→ backs → UnternehmerTUM (entrepreneur education entity)
Herbert Quandt
→ father of → Susanne Klatten + Stefan Quandt
→ saved → BMW (Annual General Meeting 1960 turnaround plan)
→ blocked → 1959 BMW–Mercedes merger attempt
→ is → German industrialist
Johanna Quandt
→ mother of → Susanne Klatten + Stefan Quandt
→ held → BMW shares (passed to her children after her death in 2015)
Stefan Quandt
→ brother of → Susanne Klatten
→ serves on → BMW Supervisory Board (with Susanne since 1997)
Quandt family
→ controls → BMW (since 1959, via Herbert Quandt)
→ named members → Susanne Klatten, Stefan Quandt, Herbert Quandt, Johanna Quandt
→ is → German dynastic family-office unit
→ named in → BioNTech five-piece capital pattern (peer to Strüngmann)
BMW
→ saved by → Herbert Quandt (1960 turnaround)
→ controlled by → Quandt family (since 1959)
→ owns brands → Mini + Rolls-Royce
→ supervised by → Susanne Klatten + Stefan Quandt (Supervisory Board)
→ headquartered in → Munich, Germany
Altana / Altana AG
→ inherited by → Susanne Klatten (50.1% stake, 1982)
→ divested → pharmaceutical activities to Nycomed (2006, €4.5 billion)
→ continues as → specialty chemicals business
→ wholly owned by → SKion GmbH (since the 2008–2010 privatization)
SKion
→ is → family office founded by Susanne Klatten in 2006 (she remains Managing Director)
→ co-held → stake in Landa Digital Printing with Altana (2018–2025)
Landa Digital Printing
→ founded by → Benny Landa (Israeli entrepreneur)
→ specializes in → digital printing + nanotechnology
→ co-owned by → Altana + SKion (2018–2025; exited to FIMI Opportunity Funds)
SGL Carbon
→ largest shareholder → SKion GmbH (28.55%)
→ specializes in → carbon + graphite materials
→ serves → automotive, aerospace, renewable energy industries
UnternehmerTUM
→ backed by → Susanne Klatten
→ affiliated with → Technical University of Munich (TUM)
→ educates → entrepreneurs
→ helped establish → Munich as a leading European tech hub
→ portfolio companies → Flix, Celonis (and many more)
→ Startuprad.io coverage → https://www.startuprad.io/post/unternehmertum-helps-entrepreneurs-to-start-world-class-companies-gsa22
SK Foundation
→ founded by → Susanne Klatten
→ focuses on → education, science, culture
→ provides → scholarships
→ supports → research projects + cultural preservation
Jan Klatten
→ is → Swiss entrepreneur
→ ex-spouse of → Susanne Klatten (separated 2018)
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Nycomed
→ acquired → Altana’s pharmaceutical activities (2006, €4.5B)
This article is part of Startuprad.io’s ongoing coverage of hidden champions and power structures in German tech.
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