• Capital: € one hundred million
• Age:       72
• Born:     May 24, 1947
• Country of origin:             Germany
• Source of wealth:            Entrepreneurs
• Last updated:    2023

Short introduction

The former CEO of Volkswagen AG is a public individual withinside the Federal Republic. First at Bosch after which at Audi, he moved to VW in 1993, wherein he turned into at the board from 2000 and have become chairman of the board in 2006. Due to the involvement withinside the VW exhaust scandal, after such a lot of a hit years, he turned into in the end criticized so seriously that he resigned in 2015. There are presently numerous court cases in opposition to him in Germany and america for fraud and different offenses, the final results of that is presently open.

Early existence

Little is understood approximately his adolescence and youth. From 1966 Martin Winterkorn, who turned into born in Leonberg, studied metallurgy and steel physics in Stuttgart. From 1973, Winterkorn labored as a doctoral pupil on the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, which he ended with a doctorate. From then on he commenced operating withinside the loose enterprise.

Career

First he labored as a researcher at Robert Bosch GmbH, an car supplier. He did this so efficaciously that he already joined the car producer Audi in 1981 as assistant to the board for first-rate assurance. This turned into accompanied through in addition profession jumps, which include the appointment as department supervisor and, from 1990, head of all Audi first-rate assurance.

Here, too, he advanced an first rate popularity for his paintings and performance, even supposing complaint of his authoritarian dealings with personnel turned into occasionally expressed at that time. He possibly stored this trait till the cease of his expert profession, now no longer with out being very a hit with it.

So he in the end switched to Volkswagen in 1993. Here, too, he turned into to start with lively withinside the control of first-rate assurance. Just three hundred and sixty five days later, he have become preferred consultant of VW AG, and from 2000 he rose to the board. Here he turned into to start with a member of the board for “Research and Development”.

In 2006 Martin Winterkorn reached the height of his profession. After the departure of Bernd Pischetsrieder, he have become his successor as head of the whole organization and as a consequence CEO.

His revenue turned into over 17 million euros in 2011, a document for a CEO of a DAX agency. He additionally earned pension rights of EUR 1.33 million a year. The first rate fulfillment VW celebrated below his route to start with regarded to justify those sums, even supposing there has been a few complaint of those quantities in German society.

During this time he turned into additionally an honorary professor at numerous universities, which include the Technical University of Budapest and the TU Dresden.

However, his popularity has been absolutely ruined for the reason that emissions scandal, wherein Martin Winterkorn bears nominal responsibility, have become known. US government had exposed tampering with VW diesel emissions. Martin Winterkorn resigned as CEO of VW in 2015, in addition to at Porsche Holding and from the Supervisory Board at Audi.

As of 2023, numerous court cases were opened for fraud and comparable crimes in opposition to him. In addition to extraordinarily excessive fines, he can also face imprisonment.

Career highlights

His whole time as a board member of VW may be taken into consideration a first rate fulfillment – till the emissions scandal price him his excellent popularity, his task and perhaps even his freedom. Until then, he had constantly set Volkswagen to new records. Highest income figures, tens of lots of recent jobs and document income and profits. In the wake of the scandal, those achievements fade extra than only a little, and but they’re a part of Martin Winterkorn`s in large part a hit existence and paintings.

His lengthy a hit profession as a supervisor turned into contemplated in severa awards. Perhaps the maximum critical of those turned into that of Manager Manager of the Year in 2012. Nominally extra critical can be the 2 honorary doctorates that he acquired from the Chemnitz University of Technology and the Technical University of Munich. He is likewise an honorary professor at Tongji University in Shanghai.

Famous quotes

• “Board individuals earn lots and feature loads of responsibility. Errors speedy have very critical consequences. Accordingly, consequent movement have to additionally be taken while the effects are inadequate. ”
• “I count on my pinnacle managers to experience secure approximately cars: euphoria for matters which can be actually excellent, intolerance in opposition to weaknesses.”
• “The personnel who nevertheless understand me from my time as a first-rate guy at Audi or VW understand that I`m now no longer inquisitive about hierarchies, however most effective withinside the tough facts. Especially in relation to warm subjects while a hassle arises somewhere. ”
• “Volkswagen must be on the pinnacle in each respect, together with in relation to accountable company control. I am cautious with the word `function model` – however our enterprise and consequently Volkswagen may be referred to as a pioneer: Nobody can idiot us in relation to operating situations and accountable use of the assets of our planet. ”

Amazing facts

• During his time at VW, he had a pond constructed for kois in his estate. The erection of a heating gadget for this pond by myself price 60,000 euros, which of route VW took over.
• Martin Winterkorn is the daddy of  sons with  distinctive women.
• Shortly earlier than the emissions scandal have become known, he and his spouse based a agency whose sole coping with director is his spouse. Martin Winterkorn transferred big components of his property there.