German Billionaire Klaus-Michael Kuehne Dies at 89

German billionaire Klaus-Michael Kuehne has died at the age of 89. The sad news was announced by Swiss logistics company Kuehne + Nagel on Monday (24/8/2026).

Kuehne was the controlling shareholder of Kuehne + Nagel. He was the grandson of August Kuehne, one of the company’s founders.

In addition to Kuehne + Nagel, Kuehne also held large stakes in a number of German companies, including airline Lufthansa, shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, and chemicals distributor Brenntag.

Kuehne began serving as CEO of Kuehne + Nagel in 1975. He then became chairman of the company’s board of directors for nearly two decades, from 1992 to 2011.

Kuehne + Nagel grew into one of the world’s largest logistics companies. Its business encompasses freight forwarding by sea, air, and land transport.

Kuehne was known as one of the most influential business figures in Germany. His wealth largely stemmed from his ownership in Kuehne + Nagel, which expanded rapidly amid growing global trade and supply chains.