Klaus-Michael Kuehne, the billionaire logistics entrepreneur and controlling shareholder of Swiss freight giant Kuehne + Nagel, died on Monday at the age of 89. The company confirmed his passing in a statement.
Kuehne, whose grandfather co-founded the company, built Kuehne + Nagel into one of the world’s largest logistics providers. He took the helm as CEO in 1975 and later served as chairman from 1992 until 2011, steering the firm through decades of expansion. His net worth was estimated at more than $44.2 billion by Forbes, placing him among Germany’s wealthiest investors.
Beyond Kuehne + Nagel, he held significant stakes in major German enterprises. His portfolio included airline Lufthansa, shipping group Hapag-Lloyd, chemicals distributor Brenntag, and mobility operator Flix. In 2008, he led an investor consortium that acquired Hapag-Lloyd’s container shipping business from TUI to prevent a takeover by a larger competitor. He later secured a 20% voting stake in Lufthansa Group.
