Profil Financier
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler-Thumann occupe actuellement le rang #1031 du classement mondial StarFortune (secteur automobile). Fortune nette estimée : $4.1 B (+$15 M sur 24h).
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler-Thumann and her billionaire son Georg own Schaeffler Group, one of the world's largest ball bearing and machine component producers.
She took over in 1996, following the death of her husband (also Georg) who had founded the company with his brother Wilhelm in 1946.
In 2008, the company took over tire and auto parts giant Continental AG in a $15-billion, debt-financed deal.
In the wake of the financial crisis, it seemed the high-wire act might fail. But as the auto market rebounded, Continental's share price soared.
Maria-Elisabeth and Georg's combined 46% stake in Continental accounts for most of their wealth.
Maria-Elisabeth, who owns 20% of Schaeffler Group, lives in the tony Austrian ski resort town of Kitzbuehel, while Georg, with 80%, leads a quiet life in the U.S.
In 2014, she married Juergen Thumann, former head of the German industrial organization BDI.