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Merckle: sale of Ratiopharm is “painful” for our family

March 18, 2010

Ratiopharm, the generic drug company owned by Germany’s Merckle family, has been sold to Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd for an enterprise value of €3.625 billion.

Ratiopharm, the generic drug company owned by Germany's Merckle family, has been sold to Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd for an enterprise value of €3.625 billion.

The company, which reported worldwide 2009 revenues of €1.6 billion, is part of the Merckle family's empire that also includes Phoenix Pharmahandel, cement company HeidelbergCement and vehicle manufacturer Kässbohrer.

Rights issue set to give Merckle family smaller role

September 15, 2009

HeidelbergCement, the company in which Germany’s Merckle family is a substantial shareholder, has announced a huge capital increase equivalent to 50% of its entire share capital.

HeidelbergCement, the company in which Germany's Merckle family is a substantial shareholder, has announced a huge capital increase equivalent to 50% of its entire share capital.

How to emotionally survive the global economic crisis

January 15, 2009

The recent suicide of Adolf Merkle highlighted the enormous pressure that successful businessmen put on themselves when things go awry. Randel Carlock analyses why families should reflect on their family connections and how they provide social support to each other in these troubling economic times

Alarm. Fear. Exhaustion. Pain. Depression. Panic. These are words that describe the anxiety we are all feeling because of the global economic crisis. The recent suicide of Adolf Merckle, the German family entrepreneur and one of the world's wealthiest men, again reminds us that even the most powerful and successful people are also experiencing severe anxiety and self doubt.

While his firm faced restructuring and would likely survive, his loss of control and belief that he had failed his family's business legacy was more than he could live with.

Merckle family confirms patriarch’s death was suicide

January 7, 2009

Adolf Merckle, the German family business tycoon, committed suicide on Monday it has been confirmed.

In a statement, his family said "the desperate situation of his companies, caused by the financial crisis, the uncertainties of the last few weeks and his powerlessness to act, broke the passionate family entrepreneur and he took his own life."

The 74-year-old, who is Germany's fifth richest individual with an estimated fortune of €7 billion, made a series of bad financial bets that left his investment company, VEM, owing banks €5 billion.