Who Is Herbert Quandt? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Herbert Quandt was born on June 22, 1910, in Berlin, Germany. He was a key figure in the German business landscape and is best known for his role in shaping the success of BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) during the mid-20th century. Quandt's business acumen and strategic investments helped the automobile manufacturer flourish during challenging times, especially post-World War II.
Herbert Quandt passed away on November 2, 1982, but his legacy continues to resonate in the automotive industry and beyond.
| Occupation | War Criminals |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 22, 1910 |
| Age | 71 Years |
| Birth Place | Pritzwalk, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | Germany |
| Date of death | 2 June, 1982 |
| Died Place | Kiel, West Germany |
Popularity
Herbert Quandt's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though precise body measurements for Herbert Quandt may not be publicly documented given his era, it is known that he was of average build for his time. His professional demeanor and authoritative presence as a businessman suggested a height around 5'10", typical for men of his era. Exact weights and other body stats remain undisclosed.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Herbert Quandt was married to Johanna Quandt, and together, they had children who later contributed to both the family legacy and the BMW company. His family played an essential role in managing and continuing the operations of BMW, reflecting a strong family commitment to their business ventures.
While specific details regarding affairs or relationships outside of his marriage are not publicly disclosed, Herbert Quandt was known for keeping his family life relatively private.
After extensive training at the family's companies at home and abroad, Quandt became a member of the executive board of AFA, later VARTA AG, in 1940. Quandt was the director of Pertrix GmbH, a Berlin-based subsidiary of AFA. During the war Herbert Quandt was the director of personnel at his family factory.
During his time as director he personally oversaw the deaths of 40 to 80 people each month through the use of slave labor with each slave staying alive approximately 6 months. This turnover was due in large part to the concentration of acid gas in the air of the factory in which the slave labor was forced to work.
Slave labor was used extensively throughout the Quandt factories and as early as 1938. Known factories where slave labor was used include three factories in Hanover, Berlin, AFA's Stocken and Hagen plants, and Pertrix GmbH. Concentration camps were set up on the grounds of the AFA at Hanover which included an execution area.
According to the Scholtyseck report, there were over 50,000 slave laborers at the Quandt factories during war time. Herbert Quandt was not tried after the war, though his father was interned until 1948 while he was investigated.
Net Worth and Salary
By the time of his passing in 1982, Herbert Quandt's net worth was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, largely attributed to his pioneering investments in BMW and other ventures. As of 2025, his family continues to hold significant portions of BMW shares, maintaining a substantial financial legacy that underscores the economic impact of his initial investments and business decisions.
Career, Business, and Investments
Herbert Quandt's career took off during the 1950s when he significantly increased his shareholding in BMW during its time of financial distress. His decisive actions led to a transformation of the company, emphasizing quality and performance that positioned BMW as a luxury automotive leader.
Beyond BMW, Quandt had extensive investments across various sectors, contributing to industrial manufacturing and finance within Germany. His strategic business maneuvers coupled with astute market understanding established him as a respected industrialist of his time.
BMW was already planning its BMW 1500 model when Quandt took control. It was launched in 1962 and established a new segment in the car market: the quality production saloon. It occupied a position between the mass production car and the craftsman-built output of the luxury producers.
BMW's sophisticated technical skills put it in a strong position to fill this niche. This model in its new segment firmly established the long-term success of BMW.
Social Network
Herbert Quandt's presence on social media is non-existent, given that he lived in a time before the advent of the internet and digital platforms. However, his legacy lives on through numerous fan pages and pages dedicated to the history of BMW and its influential figures. His family, especially his descendants, often engage in promoting his legacy and the values he instilled in their business practices.
Education
Herbert Quandt was educated in Germany, where he developed a keen interest in business and finance. Although specifics about his educational background remain scarce, it is clear that his academic pursuits provided a solid foundation for his later achievements in the business world.
The Hanns Joachim Friedrichs Award-winning documentary film The Silence of the Quandts by the German public broadcaster ARD described in October 2007 the role of the Quandt family businesses during the Second World War.
The family's Nazi past was not well known, but the documentary film revealed this to a wide audience and confronted the Quandts about the use of slave labourers in the family's factories during World War II.
As a result, five days after the showing, four family members announced, on behalf of the entire Quandt family, their intention to fund a research project in which a historian would examine the family's activities during Adolf Hitler's dictatorship.
The independent 1,200-page study that was released in 2011 concluded: "The Quandts were linked inseparably with the crimes of the Nazis."
