Johanna Maria Quandt German, widow of German industrialist Herbert Quandt Country: Germany

Biography of Johanna Maria Quandt

Johanna Maria Quandt, a German widow of the German industrialist Herbert Quandt, was born in 1926 with the maiden name 'Bruhn'. She joined Herbert Quandt's company in the 1950s, starting as a simple secretary and eventually becoming his personal assistant. Their professional union later developed into a romance, and in 1960, Johanna and Herbert legalized their relationship.

Herbert Quandt passed away in 1982, and Johanna became the largest shareholder of BMW after his death. She served on the company's board of trustees for some time but eventually decided to step down from her managerial role. However, Johanna still retains 16.7% of the company's shares and has not severed her ties with BMW completely. She has not been a member of the board of trustees since 1997.

Johanna's marriage to Herbert Quandt not only brought her significant wealth but also two children. Stefan Quandt and Susanne Klatten, like their mother, are substantial shareholders in their father's enterprise. Unlike Johanna, they continue to serve on the board of trustees to this day.

After retiring, Johanna Quandt settled down in Bad Homburg, where she currently leads a quiet and peaceful life. She prefers not to attract attention to herself. However, it is known that she actively collaborates with several political parties, regularly donating funds from her considerable fortune, and supports various charitable projects, such as cancer foundations for children.

In October 2007, the German company ARD aired an interesting program that detailed the role of the Quandt family's businesses during the Second World War. The program had a significant impact, and at least four Quandts officially announced their plans to sponsor a series of historical research projects aimed at fully uncovering the activities of the Quandt family during Adolf Hitler's era.