Overview
- Manager Magazin’s 2026 list places the Gesellschafterfamilie of Boehringer Ingelheim first with an estimated €66.7 billion and moves Lidl founder Dieter Schwarz to second with €53.7 billion.
- The shift to a Boehringer-led top spot followed court rulings that validated the magazine’s right to publish the list and ended a prior agreement that had kept the family off earlier rankings.
- A large revaluation lifted the Merck family to third with €50.7 billion, showing that valuation methods and choice of stock closing prices can produce major year-on-year changes.
- The 500-strong ranking, compiled using closing prices from 15 September 2026, records a record 257 billionaires and sets the cutoff for entry at about €440 million.
- The list highlights regional concentration in pharma and retail and shows how disclosure, legal rulings, and valuation choices change the public picture of private wealth.