Rank #33
Dieter Schwarz
Net worth $62.0B
Retail · Germany
- Born
- Sep 24, 1939
- Age
- 86
- Source
- Retail
- Residence
- Neckarsulm
- Citizenship
- Germany
- Marital status
- Married
- Children
- 2
- Education
Net worth over time
Biography
- Dieter Schwarz owns Schwarz Group, a German discount grocery retailer with revenue of more than $200 billion.
- Schwarz inherited the company from his father, Josef, who became a partner in Suedfruechte Grosshandel Lidl & Co., a fruit wholesaler, in 1930.
- Dieter opened the first Lidl store in 1973, became CEO in 1977 when Josef died, and built Schwarz Group into Europe's largest retail empire, with 500,000 employees.
- Lidl entered the U.S. in 2017, promising to convince consumers to "Rethink Grocery." Its stores are mostly in Virginia and North and South Carolina.
- Schwarz Group is owned by a foundation, technically a limited liability company, but Dieter maintains full control and is the effective owner.
- The Dieter Schwarz Foundation supports education and daycare facilities for children, as well as science and research projects.
- A decidedly private person who shuns all publicity, Schwarz has been married for more than 50 years and has two daughters.