Friedrich Merz: From the lobbyist to the most powerful millionaire in Germany?

Friedrich Merz: From the lobbyist to the most powerful millionaire in Germany?

Friedrich Merz, the CDU Chancellor, has established itself in recent years as one of the most wealthiest figures in German politics. His estimated assets are around 12 million euros, which is due to strategic asset structure over various sources. This includes a considerable ownership of around 5.5 million euros, mainly in the Swiss company Stadler Rail, as well as real estate assets of around 5 million euros, which includes a family home in the Sauerland and a inherited villa on Lake Tegernsee. In addition, Merz has other assets worth around 1.5 million euros, which includes, for example, a private plane. According to Ruhr24 , his annual income was around 1 million euros gross in 2018.

Merz, who was born in Brilon on November 11, 1955, has had a considerable political career, which includes both as a member of the European Parliament and as a member of the German Bundestag from 1994 to 2025. He is not only active as a politician, but also as a partner and senior country at the law firm Mayer Brown LLP. In addition to his political career, Merz has various supervisory board mandates that give him additional income. In particular, his role in Blackrock Germany, where he worked as a lobbyist before his return to politics and was able to achieve an income of around 150,000 euros annually, emphasizes him in public.

Financial links and lobbyism

opponents of Merz argue that he uses his political offices to obtain personal financial benefits. This concern is loud in the context of the lobbyism that is often criticized in Germany, which is defined as an influence on political decisions by organizations or companies. According to Political advanced , lobbyism is legitimate in a democratic system as long as it is transparent. However, the current discussion about Merz shows how problematic it can be if private advantages and political power are closely linked.

In the German Bundestag, lobby organizations have been obliged to register in the lobby register since the beginning of 2022, which should increase transparency. Nevertheless, many citizens are skeptical about the interdependencies between politics and business. In the past, Merz has pleaded against the disclosure of additional income and states not to talk about his assets so as not to be perceived as a show -off. This raises questions about the reconciliation of his duties as a representative with his personal financial interests, a topic that is the focus of the political discussion in 2024.

sources of income and responsibilities

In addition to his political salary of 30,000 euros gross per month, which includes an official salary and an office allowance, Merz earns further income from his supervisory board mandates. These are, for example, 80,000 euros annually at WEPA Industriengolding, 75,000 euros at HSBC Trinkaus and 14,000 euros at Köln/Bonn GmbH Airport. In particular, critics noted that such ancillary income has potential conflicts of interest, especially if political decisions are affected. As Augsburger Tagblatt , his assets in Germany are controversial, which significantly influences the public perception of its political role.

In view of the ongoing debate about lobbyism and current power relationships in Germany, it remains to be seen how Merz will handle his political and economic connections in the future and whether new transparency rules will be implemented in politics in order to regain the trust of citizens.