Friedrich Merz: This is how the new Chancellor earns his million-dollar fortune!

Friedrich Merz: This is how the new Chancellor earns his million-dollar fortune!

Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of the CDU, is one of the wealthiest politicians in Germany. His fortune is estimated at around 12 million euros, based on analyzes by “Vermögenmagazin”. This assessment sheds light on Merz's strategic wealth accumulation as well as his extensive political career and activities as a lobbyist. A look at his sources of income and asset allocation shows what his financial foundation is made up of.

The most prominent source of his wealth comes from his stock holdings, which alone amount to around 5.5 million euros. Stadler Rail plays a particularly important role here. In addition, Merz has real estate assets worth around 5 million euros, which includes a single-family home in the Sauerland and an inherited villa on Lake Tegernsee. His assets are supplemented by other assets of around 1.5 million euros, which also include a private plane.

Earnings and political career

In 2018, Merz stated that he had a gross annual income of around 1 million euros. Since July 1, 2024, as a member of the Bundestag, he has received monthly compensation of 11,227.20 euros, which amounts to around 134,700 euros annually. His income as Federal Chancellor amounts to around 30,000 euros gross per month, divided into an official salary of 19,091.14 euros and a service expense allowance of 1,022.58 euros.

In addition to these earnings, Merz is extremely active in the political sector. His career began in the European Parliament (1989-1994) and continued through various positions in the German Bundestag, where he has worked since 1994 with a few interruptions. From 2000 to 2002 he was parliamentary group leader of the CDU/CSU. He finally took up the office of Federal Chancellor on May 6, 2025.

Lobbying and controversy

Before returning to politics, Merz worked in various lobby organizations and as a member of the supervisory board. For example, he earned around 150,000 euros a year at BlackRock, where, as chairman of the supervisory board, he also maintains deep connections to the capital market. Other mandates included work at Wepa Industrieholding with 80,000 euros and at HSBC Trinkaus with 75,000 euros annually. This financial basis enables Merz to bring his expertise on financial markets into political discussions.

Despite his success, Merz faces critical questions in the public debate. Critics accuse him of exploiting political office for personal financial gain, which is being discussed primarily with regard to the political challenges of 2024. The compatibility of his obligations as a representative of the people with his individual interests is often questioned.

Merz himself has always spoken out against comprehensive disclosure of his additional income. He emphasizes that he does not like to talk about his wealth, which further fuels the debate about the transparency of political finances. His fortune is regularly in the public eye, especially given his ambivalent role between politics and business.

Overall, looking at Friedrich Merz's assets as well as his political career and financial activities reveals a complex picture that includes both successes and challenges. The controversies surrounding his person illustrate the complexity of the connections between politics and economics in modern Germany.

For more information, read the detailed reports on Ruhr24 and Augsburger Tagblatt.