Thiele heirs pay record inheritance tax of four billion euros!

Thiele heirs pay record inheritance tax of four billion euros!

The descendants of the late entrepreneur Heinz Hermann Thiele have transferred a record amount of inheritance tax to the Free State of Bavaria. A total of four billion euros flowed into the Free State's coffers, which is considered the highest inheritance tax in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. This payment was already indicated in a tax estimate in May 2025, like Mercury reported. It is a significant financial contribution in a year in which the Bavarian budget has a volume of 76 billion euros.

Heinz Hermann Thiele, who died in February 2021, was the majority shareholder of Knorr-Bremse and played a central role in the industry as a major shareholder in Lufthansa and a real estate investor. His total assets were estimated at around 15 billion euros, making Thiele one of the richest people in Germany. His heirs, who transferred the tax in April 2023, are confronted with the inheritance dispute that arose between his widow Nadia, his son Hendrik and the executor Robin Brühmüller.

Inheritance disputes and family foundations

Thiele's attempt to organize his assets in a family foundation led to tensions within the family. This foundation was only recognized in 2023, which further exacerbated the existing conflicts over the division of inheritance. Nadia Thiele, the entrepreneur's widow, was initially designated as the pre-heir in the will and had hoped to have more influence on the foundation's statutes, but she did not succeed. She tried to depose Brühmüller, who acted as executor and had general power of attorney. An application for his dismissal failed at the Munich probate court in 2022.

In addition, further conflicts arise in the family. In 2015, her son Hendrik waived his compulsory share and broke off contact with his father. Together with his sister Julia Thiele-Schürhoff, who serves on the foundation's supervisory board and board, he opposes the decisions of the executor. A settlement of 25 million euros, which Hendrik agreed to in 2017, was posthumously challenged in court through his objection, but was unsuccessful.

Use of inheritance tax

The financial windfall created by the inheritance tax raises questions about its use. Claudia Köhler from the Green Party appealed to the state government to use these funds to invest in financially struggling municipalities. Köhler is calling for the immediate introduction of a second supplementary budget in order to allow the money to flow into necessary projects for cities and municipalities. The three billion euros from inheritance tax could be crucial for the creation and improvement of infrastructure and social facilities.

This development surrounding Thiele's legacy not only underlines the complexity of inheritance matters, but also the possibility of using significant sums to support public projects. In a year in which the inheritance tax revenues of the federal states amounted to almost ten billion euros, it is crucial that such revenues are used sensibly to enable local authorities to develop positively.