Innovation. Brain-computer interfaces send information directly from a living brain to the electrical circuits of computers. In this way, people today can control machines simply by thinking. And this is only the beginning.
Mathias Heller wants to revive the classic soda culture with his siphon manufacture. That's why he restores old siphons - creating unique pieces with a history for true bar culture enthusiasts.
Tradition. The Döllerers from Golling near Salzburg prove that money can be earned with top-class gastronomy - if it is integrated into a harmonious overall concept. Now in its fifth generation, more than 20 family members are involved.
Consulting. Information is the beginning of everything. That is why Alexander Etterer's digital reporting provides an informative, structured overview of the total assets of Rödl & Partner clients. This data is not only key to successful wealth management, but also helps with tax issues or succession planning.
commitment. In the zero interest rate era, many foundations only exist on paper. Due to a lack of income, they can no longer provide support. "The purpose of a foundation is then missed, the founder's will no longer achieved," says Ralf Schwind, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Merck Finck Foundation, making it clear and outlining ways out of this dilemma.
The great challenge for entrepreneurial families is to maintain a balance between tradition and modernisation of their living conditions in a rapidly changing society. In its research, WiFU is investigating how this can be achieved.
Prof. Heiko Kleve, Kristin Beer, Wittener Institut für Familienunternehmen53
New Work. The trend towards the home office will turn the office markets upside down. Will city centres then become unattractive for investors? "We have to rethink", says Michael Reiss, managing partner of Sotheby's International Realty in Munich, "then this is a huge opportunity."
Oldtimer. Seit 1987 betreibt Axel Schuette den Handel mit automobilen Raritäten. In diesen 33 Jahren gingen mehr als 3000 Sammlerfahrzeuge durch seine Hände. Authentische Originale, Fahrzeuge mit Seele. „Das ist“, sagt er, „meine Leidenschaft. Denn hinter vielen dieser Autos stehen ganz besondere Geschichten.“ Wie die des 300 SL Flügeltürers, der dem Künstler Andy Warhol Modell stand.
Personalised watches. The digitalisation of the traditional watch industry is progressing in giant strides. In the future, it will open up new ways for lovers of individual timepieces to find their own personal favourite piece.
Joel Kremer (39), director of the Kremer Collection, brings his parents' Old Masters to life online. In this way, he ensures that no one has to forego enjoyment of art.
Philanthropy. The Belgian nobleman Emmanuel de Merode made the rescue of the famous Virunga National Park, the oldest and most species-rich nature reserve in Africa, his life's work. With the help of international patrons and unperturbed by an assassination attempt, he is implementing his Marshall Plan for East Congo step by step. Rebels, Ebola, greedy oil companies and corrupt politicians cannot stop him.
Orientation. After the sale of a company, a new phase of life begins for former company owners. "It is crucial to ask the right questions at the very beginning. Thanks to our interdisciplinary approach, we can make a difference for 'wealthy entrepreneurs'", Christian Rödl, partner and managing partner of Rödl & Partner, points out.
Foundations. The foundation landscape is changing rapidly. Whereas philanthropists used to respond regionally and locally and individually to specific emergency situations, more and more philanthropists today think strategically, internationally and collaboratively. And they - like Hans Schöpflin - manage their foundation like a company.
From the research workshop. How have successful entrepreneurial families reacted to crisis situations in the past and what makes family businesses resistant to crisis even today? A blueprint from family research.
Real estate. Forecasts on the real estate markets vary widely. Is the crash coming? Oder will the boom continue now more than ever? Michael Reiss, managing partner of Sotheby's International Realty in Munich, dares to give an outlook.
Equestrian sports. The equestrian gene is in the blood of the Magalow family. Konstantin Magalow's father founded the equestrian farm Ising at the Chiemsee, and Magalow himself made it famous. Daughter Sylvia and her husband Dietmar Gugler are now setting new standards: expanded riding facilities, a first-class training concept and tournaments for leisure riders to top athletes.
Around the world in 26 days by Learjet - playing golf on 15 courses in seven countries on four continents. PGA trainer Ergül Altinova will realise this adventure for 60 golf enthusiasts in November 2020.
Digital wealth reporting. Getting an informative, structured overview of your total assets online at any time is the key to successful asset management. Alexander Etterer, Partner and responsible for the Wealth, Reporting & Controlling division of the auditing firm Rödl & Partner, explains how wealthy families intelligently implement and use this.
Real estate. If an auction house operates real estate agencies, there is probably a very special idea behind it. Michael Reiss is managing partner of Sotheby's International Realty in Munich. He describes his vision and current real estate trends.
From the research workshop. Entrepreneurial families are as unique as any private small family - but they have one very specific goal in common: to keep the company successful in the family for future generations. To achieve this, different types of families must find answers to different questions.
Dr. Ann Sophie Löhde Prof. Dr. Tom-Arne Rüsen, Wittener Institut für Familienunternehmen300
Journey. Eduard Rauchdobler from Linz and Enrique Umbert from Lima wanted to make the trek to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu more comfortable. Today her project "Mountain Lodges of Peru" is flourishing. And the two entrepreneurs are thinking about multiplying their concept in many other places of tourist interest.
Pleasure. In the 1970s, Walter Lang decided to become self-sufficient. He soon became one of the pioneers of the organic movement in Germany. What about today? Today, Walter Lang GmbH is the market leader among Europe's organic honey importers. "I'm stuck with honey," laughs Karin Lang, a trained food technician. "And not just there," she adds with a smile. The 50-year-old company and family spokeswoman is married to Gerrit, the son of the founder of Walter Lang GmbH. Together with him and his…
The private-wealth forum. On 25 January 75 geladene met guests from completely Germany in the hotel La mansion in star mountain 13 experts, in order to discuss over current topics approximately around employers and investment. Ein Day full of inspiration and orientation. "Our entire commitment has always been based on the network idea", explains publisher Moritz Eckes, "it was only logical to create a forum where entrepreneurs and asset owners can intensively exchange ideas with proven…
Thilo Natke is captain of the new expedition ship Hanseatic nature. For 29 years he has been sailing the seas between the Arctic and Antarctica, to the Amazon and the South Seas. Why this way of travelling fascinates him so much.
Philanthropy. Zita Cobb, who has made a fortune in the glass fiber industry, wants to save her home Fogo Island in the Canadian province of Newfoundland from bleeding and give her an economic perspective with an extraordinary, non-profit hotel and a foundation. She is convinced: "Our success can be imitated by other dependent communities."
Technology. Video camera systems and search engines monitor us almost completely. At the same time, digital helpers improve our health and make life easier. Is the end of privacy a reasonable or too high price to pay for technical progress?
Technology. Nuclear fusion could be the way to solve all mankind's energy problems in an environmentally and climate-friendly way for all time. Scientists and engineers have been researching the technology for well over 70 years. Recently they have made enormous progress.
From the research workshop. Entrepreneurial families with more than 50 members are not just families or business-related organisations. They are also a special form of social networks - and thus a case for FON theory.
Hotel business. Owner-managed family hotels often have problems becoming internationally known. Susanne Gräfin von Moltke and Klaus-Dieter von Moltke use the membership in the hotel association Relais & Châteaux for this.
Travel. More and more entrepreneurs enjoy the feeling of freedom and independence in a tailor-made motorhome. Beim Trendthema Land-Yachting are the imagination (almost) no limits set.
In the review section, private wealth highlights what has become of the entrepreneurs and investment ideas presented in previous issues. In the current issue, the editorial staff reports on the extraordinary successes of the Internet start-up Westwing and the medical technology company Curetis. The editors also take a second look at the hedge funds of the British Sushil Wadhwani and the American Michael Tiedemann.
Plant-it-yourself. The start-up BerlinGreen wants to make the simple cultivation of salads and herbs at home or in the office easy. It thus brings the worldwide trend of urban gardening to Germany. "To fulfill the dream of a house with a garden even in the vicinity of a city is hardly realistic in our generation," says Filip Wawrzyniak, founder of the BerlinGreen start-up, soberly. "The longing to cultivate food himself is, however, still present. That's why we bring the garden into the…
From the research workshop. Why does digitization become a success story for one family business? Und with the other one she only makes frightening slow progress? The key is in the family. Den Owners, their digital knowledge and skills and especially their inner attitude are of central importance with regard to questions of digital transformation. Tradition, it is said so beautifully, is not the worship of ashes, but the transmission of fire. If tradition and digitalization are to come together…
Prof. Dr. Tom A. Rüsen, Dr. Anne Katarina Heider353
Civil courage. The activist Jody Williams succeeded, which the United Nations was unable to do, in persuading the international community to renounce landmines. For this she received the Nobel Peace Prize almost 20 years ago. She's been touring the world ever since, shaking people up. Because what she can do, others can do. "Hi, I'm Jody!" The American has a firm handshake. It goes from chair to chair, from row to row. Greet each individual in the auditorium, listener by listener. "Hi, I'm…
Entrepreneur families. After the sale of the family business, sooner or later the question of meaning arises: Wer are we now? Was do we want to be a family in the future? And how can we maintain cohesion? Ein Family Office specialized in Family Equity can provide the answers. "Family Equity is the glue that holds everything together" (partner of a family that runs its Single Family Office (SFO) schon for six generations). "When we launched the most comprehensive single family office survey in…
Exhibition. The watch industry has always proudly presented its products in its own museums. Recently, a few spectacular new collections have been added to the collection to provide special insights. They are not only worth a trip for watch aficionados.
Foundation management. Foundations are established on a permanent basis. Trotzdem they often invest as if they only had a short investment horizon. Und therefore have problems in the low-interest phase. Ralf Schwind, Executive Board member of the Merck Finck Foundation, advocates a new way of thinking.
Adventure. Through the heliski pioneer Leo Steiner, the former gold digger settlement Atlin in the far north of British Columbia became a place of longing for powder snow enthusiasts. But after his son had an accident in a crevasse in 2011, the helicopter remained on the ground. The Swiss André Gutenberg recently revived the legend of Atlin. His heliski area is a very special one: more rustic, wild, lonely and weird than that of the "usual Suspects" in the south of the province.
To produce a high-percentage digestive yourself is the wonderful conclusion of an evening among friends. Sommelier Andreas hot, owner of the Genuss-Akademie.tirol in Vils, inspires for a special hobby.
Investment strategy. Megatrends are fascinating as an investment idea because the respective story sounds so convincing. In order for this to actually become a successful investment, however, a number of rules must be observed.
Stock trend. The current stock market boom has lasted almost ten years. Over the past five decades, there have been few bull markets with even better performance. Are the recent price declines signaling the beginning of the end of the stock market upswing? Timo Schwietering, capital market strategist in Private Banking at Bankhaus Metzler, has good reasons not to announce a turnaround yet.
Sonderveröffentlichung: B.Metzler seel. Sohn & Co299
Commitment. Ise Bosch is the granddaughter of Robert Bosch, who founded the largest private foundation in Germany. She herself is also involved as a donor in areas that are close to her heart. With "Besser donenden" she also launched the first German-language book title on the subject in 2007.
Airplane car. The combination of driving and flying could revolutionize the traffic of the future. So far, however, the trials have mostly failed due to safety or approval by the authorities. The Dutch company PAL-V is convinced that it has these problems under control - and dares to enter the market with a genuine airplane car.
From the research workshop. The increasing acceptance of egalitarian forms of inheritance of shareholder shares has led in recent decades to the emergence of large shareholder groups of equal descent. How it is possible to succeed in attracting entrepreneurial families of this size to the company and to organize them as strategic and decision-making units.
Prof. Dr. Tom A. Rüsen und Prof. Dr. Arist von Schlippe364
Style. Who likes to live every second? More and more manufacturers are leaving the temporal small and small to electronic systems and recalling their tradition as the "slow food" of the watch industry. They concentrate on dealing with the long periods of time - days, weeks, years - and the big picture. With the greatest precision, of course.
Adventure. Bob Bates came from Australia to Papua New Guinea in the mid-1960s as a young engineer. He fell in love with the inaccessible and wild country and set about opening up the rainforest with airfields and lodges. Today Bates is the largest and most famous tour operator there. Even at 77 he still climbs into the cockpit of his bush pilots himself. Bob Bates stands on the terrace of Rondon Ridge Lodge, one of the youngest of his hostels, and looks down on Mount Hagen in the highlands of…
Commitment. A sighted person can hardly imagine what it means not to be able to see properly: writing, reading, sewing, repairing things, harvesting ... everything can hardly be accomplished. Nevertheless, 700 million people cannot afford glasses. The secondary school teacher Martin Aufmuth has set himself the goal of changing this. April 2012, it is hot in the hospital of Kasana near Uganda's capital Kampala. Just like the weeks before had been hot. Over 30 degrees Celsius. And dusty. And…
From the research workshop. Successful management of large shareholder groups erfordert Antworten on special family strategy issues. In private wealth 02/2017 the basic challenges have already been analysed. In the second part, the Witten Institute for Family Enterprises (WIFU) now examines how education and training formats should be defined so that appropriately trained family members can get involved. Im Ganzen, a professional clan management 2.0 is created. For a long time, family…
Prof. Dr. Tom A. Rüsen und Prof. Dr. Arist von Schlippe355
Pleasure. Only a few manufacturers worldwide have the specialist knowledge required to manufacture high-quality humidors. At Gerber, a Duisburg family business, this has developed from generation to generation. "Of course you can also take a glass of water and put it under a cheese cover," says Karl-Heinz Gerber junior. Before the trained carpenter and business graduate continues, he lets a few seconds pass: "But if the top right and bottom left should have exactly the same humidity and…
Entrepreneurship. Management consultant Roland Berger, almost 80 years old, is still an entrepreneur. He can't let go of new business ideas or the company that bears his name. It is a struggle for sovereignty over one's own meaning. "The documents are still missing." The voice sounds demanding. Roland Berger, 79, stands in a salon of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. The spring sun is reflected in silver cans and leg-coloured etageren. An oval table is set for breakfast for a dozen…
Watch straps. Whether crocodile, rubber or velour: the bracelet essentially determines the character and effect of a watch - and also says something about the owner. It is a welcome opportunity for manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the competition and demonstrate their craftsmanship.
From the research workshop. A particularly innovative entrepreneurial spirit is attested to in family businesses. This distinguishes them from non-family enterprises. Unfortunately, many of these ideas ultimately do not always lead to products that generate sales. How it can be possible to improve the marketing of innovations in family businesses.
Dr. Anne Katarina Heider und Dr. Maike Gerken WIFU (Wittener Institut für Familienunternehmen)290
Sponsorship. The Viennese photographer and diver Andreas Franke (above) provides his photographic art with a political statement. Shipwrecks at the bottom of the bikini atoll form the backdrop for his anti-nuclear message. He is still looking for supporters for the implementation.
Commitment. Making More Health is an initiative of the family company Boehringer Ingelheim. Christian Boehringer has an ambitious goal: He wants to promote social entrepreneurs in order to help new solutions in the healthcare market worldwide on their feet.
Company succession. A successful transfer of responsibility at the top of a company can not only ensure its continued existence, but can even lead to a growth spurt. The prerequisite for this, however, is early initiation and thorough planning of the succession process. Bankhaus Merck Finck offers support in this process.
"It's simply nice to see how guter Bordeaux has become more complex and deep over the years," says wine merchant Michael Unger. His favourite good: Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac.
Stories from dem Wallis. Tourist destinations often only become interesting through the stories and lives of charismatic people. In the Valais mountain village of Zermatt, it's not just the Matterhorn with its bold shapes that is the subject of conversation. But also the artist and hotelier Heinz Julen with seiner außergewöhnlichen family history.
Commitment. <font color="#ffff00">-=Der Familienunternehmer=- proudly presents Day (right) provides people in developing countries with bicycles. But his World Bicycle Relief is supposed to be more than an aid organization. This is why the co-founder and co-owner of SRAM, the second largest wheel component manufacturer in the world, combines his humanitarian program with an entrepreneurial approach.
Natural products. A small company from Graubünden in Switzerland has found a lucrative niche with Edelweiss products. The family of herbalist Astrid Thurner produces natural cosmetics from the strictly protected Alpine flower.
Science. Although the basic research of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg has a major influence on modern medicine, it is relatively little known to the public. What hardly anyone knows: Private sponsors and sponsors can make an important contribution to the success of the institute. And investors even have the opportunity to participate in individual, lucrative spin-offs. Photo above: Martin Hogbom_Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Journey. Richard Leakey is the most famous paleoanthropologist in the world. In the far north of Kenya, at Lake Turkana, he searched for decades for the beginnings of Homo sapiens. There he is now planning the first museum in human history. He was already able to get star architect Daniel Libeskind enthusiastic about the great project. Now he needs patrons.
Oldtimer sailing regattas. Wilfried Beeck is a pioneer of e-commerce. His great love, however, are classic sailing yachts - especially from the legendary twelve-class. His flagship, the "Trivia", is 80 years old and in her prime to sail to the top of the big vintage regattas.
Valuable helpers. Electronic watches on the wrist? Even among lovers of mechanical works, this is no longer a question of faith - but one of the right opportunities.
From the research workshop. Family businesses have always been very successful in involving individual customers in the development of new products. In times of digital transformation, they are now increasingly integrating the broad mass of customers into their innovation development via the Internet and with the help of digital technologies.
Dr. Ulrich Bretschneider und Dr. Anna Katarina Heider252
Oldtimers. In the past, car manufacturers had to produce a minimum number of their racing sports cars in order to comply with the competition regulations. These homologation vehicles are basically rare and sometimes also have an interesting motorsport history - the best conditions to turn them into valuable collector's items.
The Swiss sculptor Andreas Reichlin got stomach pains from meat that had been grilled on a normal grill. So he invented the fire ring - a sculpture that makes barbecue evenings very special.
Natural History Museum Bavaria (NaMu). The Free State of Bavaria would only support the museum project if the population itself covered one percent of the construction costs. Princess Auguste of Bavaria accepted the challenge. Now their initiative seems to be crowned with success.