Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler is a Prague, Czechoslovakia-born German businesswoman best known for being one of the owners of Schaeffler AG and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG (better known as the Schaeffler Group). Born on 17 August 1941, Maria is now one of the richest and most successful businesswomen in the world. A well-known name in business worldwide, Maria is the widow of Georg Schaeffler, former German industrialist.
A highly regarded businesswoman who has managed to grow the overall business of the Schaeffler group under her ownership, how rich is Maria-Elisabeth as of now? As of early 2016, she counts her net worth at the amount of $6.5 billion as stated by authoritative sources. Needless to say, she has managed to amass her wealth from her involvement in the business of Schaeffler group which her husband, Georg left for her upon his death.
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler Net Worth $6.5 Billion
Raised in Vienna, Austria, where she enrolled in the university’s medical school, Maria married Georg in 1963 and moved to Germany where George operated his business of producing rolling bearings under his company Schaeffler Group, and Maria helped him with his businesses until he died in 1996, leaving the ownership of his company to his widow. Since she took over the Schaeffler Group, Maria has managed to take the company to a whole new level and now has made it one of the largest producers of rolling bearings in the world. Obviously, the company’s successful operations have been adding billions of dollars into Maria’s account over the years.
Since her entrance as a part-owner of the Schaeffler Group, Maria has shown her clever business skills on several occasions. During her time, the group acquired FAG Kugelfischer and took over LuK GmbH. In 2008, the Schaeffler Group bought a much larger company Continental AG and after all these lucrative business deals, the group has become one of the largest when it comes to rolling bearings. Of course, along with these accomplishments gathered by the Schaeffler Group, Maria has also managed to add billions of dollars into her account.
Given her impeccable skills in business, Maria has been rewarded and recognized many times with awards and honors. One of the most prestigious honors she has earned is the Cross of Merit with Ribbon which was given to her by Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce. She was also awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2003 and was recognized as “Family Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2004 by Impulse magazine. More recently, she was rewarded with “Gold Medal of the District” in 2012. These and other awards have recognized Maria as one of the very successful and skilled businesspeople in Germany.
As for her personal life, in 2014 Maria married Jürgen Thumann, a former President of the Federation of German Industries, and they reside at Franconia, Bavaria. Her son Georg also works with her at the business. For now, 74 years old Maria has been enjoying her career as one of the most successful businesswomen in Germany while her present net worth of $4.5 billion has been complementing her life.
