Otto Beisheim

Otto Beisheim (3 January 1924 – 18 February 2013 ) was a German businessman and co-founder of Metro AG. In 2010, his net worth was estimated at US$3.6 billion.

Early life Beisheim was born on 3 January 1924, near Essen, Germany. He was the son of a caretaker, and his family was too poor to pay for him to attend high school, so he became a leather tradesman. in an artillery regiment on the Eastern Front. In 1943, Beisheim incurred a light injury in July in the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, and a severe injury in December near Berdychiv. In July 1944, following an extensive period of recovery in various military hospitals, Beisheim served as a private in an administrative unit before he was taken as a British prisoner of war in May 1945. He was released in March 1946.

Career After the war, Beisheim began his commercial career at the Wilhelm Nebel leather factory. After several positions in the iron and steel industry, he worked for the electrical trading company Stöcker & Reinshagen from 1959, where he became an authorized officer. The WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, in Vallendar is named after him.

Awards Iron Cross II Class 1993: Doctor of Economics - honorary, the Technical University of Dresden 1994: Grand Federal Cross of Merit 2000: Bavarian Order of Merit 2003: Order of Merit of the State of Berlin 2003: Honorary Senator of WHU 2005: WHU ring of honor 2005: Honorary citizenship of all five valley communities in the Tegernsee valley 2008: Honorary doctorate from WHU

Personal life and legacy On 18 February 2013, Beisheim committed suicide in his home in Rottach-Egern, Germany. The Beisheim Group issued a statement that Beisheim chose to take his own life after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Beisheim was intensely private and rarely in the public eye. Even at his company's shareholders' meetings, he was reported to have shown up on occasion masquerading under the name Müller.

Otto gave his name to the Beisheim Group, a family holding company for his interests in Metro AG.