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Bavaria’s Public Pension Giant Faces Up to €700 Million Hit From US Real‑Estate Bets

Experts say benefit payments remain secure given BVK’s large asset base.

Overview

  • The fund invested up to €1.6 billion in offices and hotels in cities such as Manhattan, San Francisco and Miami, triggering 2024 write-downs of more than €160 million and further losses on troubled properties.
  • A significant share of transactions ran through U.S. investor Michael Shvo, who was convicted of tax fraud in 2018.
  • BVK removed two long-serving investment managers and engaged an external review of the deals.
  • Munich prosecutors have opened preliminary investigations into the matter.
  • U.S. tenants and buyers are preparing civil lawsuits, some citing the RICO statute, as political scrutiny of oversight in Bavaria intensifies.