Overview

• In April the family trust transferred nearly €4 billion to the Kaufbeuren tax office, marking what is set to become the largest inheritance tax payment in German history.
• Thiele, who died in February 2021, left an estate valued at about €15 billion that was earmarked for the Heinz Hermann Thiele Familienstiftung after regulatory approval arrived two years late.
• Disputes over the foundation’s management and executor Robin Brühmüller’s fees prompted a confidential agreement in early 2024 that paved the way for asset transfers.
• The family foundation now controls roughly 58.99% of Knorr-Bremse and 50.09% of Vossloh shares and includes key figures such as Julia Thiele-Schürhoff and Stephan Sturm in its governance.
• Under the Länderfinanzausgleich formula, the €4 billion will be distributed among German states, with lawmakers pressing for portions to fund urban and municipal projects.