Germany – German billionaire Adolf Merckle, one of the richest men in the world, committed suicide Monday after his business empire got into trouble in the wake of the international financial crisis, Merckle’s family said Tuesday in a statement.
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Merckle, 74, was hit by a train in the southwestern town of Ulm, police said.
His family said the economic crisis had “broken” Merckle.
He was number 94 on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people. He had fallen from number 44 on the Forbes 2007 rich list as his fortune declined from $12.8 billion to $9.2 billion in 2008.
Merckle’s business empire included interests as diverse as cement-maker HeidelbergCement and generic drug-maker Ratiopharm. But he lost hundreds of millions of dollars, including company capital, betting against Volkswagen stock last year.
The state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg rejected his petition for financial assistance, and he entered bailout talks with several German banks.
“The financial troubles of his companies, induced by the international financial crisis and the uncertainty and powerlessness to act independently which the financial problems brought about, broke the passionate family business man, and he took his own life,” his family wrote in the news release.
An employee of Germany’s railroad company found the body on the tracks at about 7 p.m. Monday and notified authorities. Merckle’s family had already reported him missing earlier in the day after he walked out of the house and did not return. Authorities are currently conducting DNA tests to confirm his identity.
Sad and stupid. What did he gain by that?.
ohh nabech he was only left with 9.2 bil
how would he face the suermarket next time when he cant pay the bill
im not judging him but why should any government bail out any body? A person works hard to make money knowing full well that he can lose it al in a whim
Germany’s wealth is built on Jewish Blood.
Let’s hope that many other x-Nazis and those appreciate and admire this bloody country, will all follow his lead.
Probably cooked the books or something and offed himself before he got caught.
According to the Cheshbon he should still be worth a couple of billion dollars,is that a reason to commit suicide?! I’m starting to think maybe rich is something to stay away from!
Hmmm..he was 74 means he was born in 1934 and was probably named Adolf in honor of you know who ymach shmo.
Rich people (and those who envy them) are obsessed with Money and Worship Money as the only meaning and only value of life.
When people get carried away to respect the Rich for their Money, they have no respect for the “person” as a person, they don’t respect the “human being” as a person. They respect not the HIM.
Rather they respect “The Money” not the human being.
They don’t Love Him. They Love his Money.
So to them human life has no meaning, because a poor person is every bit, just as human, but no one cares about a human life who is poor, right?
It’s NOT being human that is important
but “BEING RICH” – admiration of worshiping of Money.
Money Has value.
Human Life (a dime a dozen) has no value and no meaning to them.
Does anyone still wonder why someone with such mentality will want to kill himself, when he finds out that (much of) his money is gone?
Such people see no other purpose to life except to be “a Human Money Machine” and if the Machine fails you throw the machine in the garbage (if it’s beyond repair) because it has no further value and no other purpose or reason to exist.
Will this be reported by some as a car accident as well?
What a way to go. Too bad. Sorry, can’t dredge up much sympathy.
now he’s taking down his shareholders as well.You know the shares will plummet just as Apple does even with fear of Steve Jobs health.
Dittos for Buffet and Gates.
Was # 44 now # 94 on forbes List..
Should have asked for a BAILOUT from Uncle Sam…..
LOL
How do we know it wasn’t an accidental suicide?
Here we see again in again that money does not make you happy….it only gives you more head ace..these rich people don’t have a calm life they can’t really enjoy there family they are for ever traviling the world….never home..what do you have from all this?? The people who work hard for there pay check and come home every night to there beautiful family they are the luckiest even they don’t have extra money to spend
hard to feel bad for anyone named ADOLF
btw there is a Jewish name Adolf.. they changed it all to Adler after the war….
This is a pure madness, i wish this man thought of the people that dont have any savings and yet thanking God 4 sparing their life. Life is all about acquiring riches