Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest Dynasties
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- Create Date：2022-05-08 09:51:45
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：David de Jong
- ISBN：1328497887
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Summary
A groundbreaking investigation of how the Nazis helped German tycoons make billions off the horrors of the Third Reich and World War II—and how America allowed them to get away with it。
In 1946， Günther Quandt—patriarch of Germany’s most iconic industrial empire， a dynasty that today controls BMW—was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration。 Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his archrival， propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels， and the courts acquitted him。 But Quandt lied。 And his heirs， and those of other Nazi billionaires， have only grown wealthier in the generations since， while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best。 Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy， owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe。 The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz， cofounded Allianz， and still control Porsche， Volkswagen， and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight—until now。
In this landmark work of investigative journalism， David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany’s wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich。 Using a wealth of untapped sources， de Jong shows how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses， procured slave laborers， and ramped up weapons production to equip Hitler’s army as Europe burned around them。 Most shocking of all， de Jong exposes how America’s political expediency enabled these billionaires to get away with their crimes， covering up a bloodstain that defiles the German and global economy to this day。
In 1946， Günther Quandt—patriarch of Germany’s most iconic industrial empire， a dynasty that today controls BMW—was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration。 Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his archrival， propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels， and the courts acquitted him。 But Quandt lied。 And his heirs， and those of other Nazi billionaires， have only grown wealthier in the generations since， while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best。 Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy， owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe。 The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz， cofounded Allianz， and still control Porsche， Volkswagen， and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight—until now。
In this landmark work of investigative journalism， David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany’s wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich。 Using a wealth of untapped sources， de Jong shows how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses， procured slave laborers， and ramped up weapons production to equip Hitler’s army as Europe burned around them。 Most shocking of all， de Jong exposes how America’s political expediency enabled these billionaires to get away with their crimes， covering up a bloodstain that defiles the German and global economy to this day。
Reviews
Barbara
，
Well researched and very upsetting to read not only how the founders of the fortunes made so much of their wealth from stealing companies from the Jewish owners but how the heirs to this day don’t accept that their was any fault。 No reparations for owners or the laborers from the concentration camps who died from starvation or torture。
Robert Webber
，
This is an extraordinary investigation into the businessmen who financed the NSPD （German Nazi Party） almost from its inception including the financing and arming of the SS。 These tycoons then went on to accumulate incredible wealth by equipping the Wehrmacht and the SS throughout the Second World War。 Much of this wealth was accumulated initially by ‘the process of ‘Aryanisation’ by which Jewish owned businesses were either sequestered or purchased at an enormous discount to actual market value This is an extraordinary investigation into the businessmen who financed the NSPD （German Nazi Party） almost from its inception including the financing and arming of the SS。 These tycoons then went on to accumulate incredible wealth by equipping the Wehrmacht and the SS throughout the Second World War。 Much of this wealth was accumulated initially by ‘the process of ‘Aryanisation’ by which Jewish owned businesses were either sequestered or purchased at an enormous discount to actual market value。 Little of this value was recovered by the original owners after the War Later， contracts relating to German rearmament and the eventual prosecution of global conflict enabled these men to become billionaires。 Most of them were ardent Nazis and joined the SS。 During the war their enrichment was further accommodated via the SS by the employment of forced and slave labour drawn from Poland， The Soviet anion and other German occupied territories。 Eventually， smaller concentration camps were built next to the factories to better accommodate arms and related warfare production。 The eventual liberation of these camps and the terrible suffering inflicted on the people who worked in them is summed up in the damning indictment of US Army Colonel George Lynch， one of the liberators: “Some will say that the Nazis were responsible for this crime。 Others will point to the Gestapo。 The responsibility rests with neither。- it is the responsibility of the German people。 Your so called Master Race has demonstrated that it is a master only of crime， cruelty and sadism。 You have lost the respect of the civilised world”。Following the cessation of hostilities in 1945， many of these German businessmen were put on trial at Nuremburg and some actually served short sentences。 The British and Americans however， recognised the ominous threat to Western Europe posed by Stalin’s Soviet Union and the need to employ Germany as a bulwark against Soviet incursion。 One means of achieving this was by rebuilding the German economy by rehabilitating its industrial capacity。 The crimes of these entrepreneurs were thus conveniently ignored and they went on to accumulate even greater wealth， although not at the the same tragic cost in human life as in previous years。 The outbreak of the Korean War meant that a considerable part of US industry was turned over to arms production。 Much of the growing post-war demand for cars and consumer goods was therefore directed toward German industry and the wealth of these elderly tycoons grew at an even greater rate。Today， the wealth accumulated by the likes of Gunther Quandt， Von Finck， Oetker， Porsche and Flick remain in the hands of their family heirs。 These people remain in control of such well known names as BMW， Volkswagen， Porsche etc。 The latter part of this book investigates the lengths that these grandchildren have gone to to cover up the human cost and suffering on which their immense wealth is founded。This is a most necessary and revealing piece of research told in compelling but not exaggerated or hyperbolic terms。 Thoroughly recommended although after reading this book you may never look at German cars etc in the same light again。 。。。more
Holly
，
This is a very well researched and well written book。。。about a very dark subject。 I'm glad to have read it though as I did I found myself becoming very dissatisfied and frustrated that these people were not held responsible for all their actions。 It's a disturbing book but brings up so many concepts that we cannot allow ourselves to forget。 I'll admit it has also confirmed to me companies that I have never and will never buy products from。 This is a very well researched and well written book。。。about a very dark subject。 I'm glad to have read it though as I did I found myself becoming very dissatisfied and frustrated that these people were not held responsible for all their actions。 It's a disturbing book but brings up so many concepts that we cannot allow ourselves to forget。 I'll admit it has also confirmed to me companies that I have never and will never buy products from。 。。。more
Petra
，
Die größten deutschen Unternehmerfamilien haben die Nazis freiwillig unterstützt。 Die wenigsten Nachfahren wollen Verantwortung dafür übernehmen。 Sie sehen das Überleben der Firma und die Weiterentwicklung egal wie als das Wichtigste in der Firmengeschichte an， egal wer dabei ums Leben gekommen ist。Der Autor hat eine Teil-Biographie dieser Firmen， vor allem ihrer damaligen Vorsitzenden zu schreiben。 Er beschreibt wie für sie und ihre Nachkommen die Firma ohne irgendwelche moralischen Bedenken im Die größten deutschen Unternehmerfamilien haben die Nazis freiwillig unterstützt。 Die wenigsten Nachfahren wollen Verantwortung dafür übernehmen。 Sie sehen das Überleben der Firma und die Weiterentwicklung egal wie als das Wichtigste in der Firmengeschichte an， egal wer dabei ums Leben gekommen ist。Der Autor hat eine Teil-Biographie dieser Firmen， vor allem ihrer damaligen Vorsitzenden zu schreiben。 Er beschreibt wie für sie und ihre Nachkommen die Firma ohne irgendwelche moralischen Bedenken immer an ersten Stelle stand。 Sie gaben Geld damit die Demokratie verschwand und gleichzeitig ihre Firmen wachsen konnten。 Die Unternehmer Quandt， Porsche， Flick und Oetker werden als Beispiel für viele andere Unternehmen in Deutschland dargestellt。 Die moralischen Werte haben sich anscheinend， zu mindestens in der Öffentlichkeit， sich auch bei den Nachkommen nicht verändert。Der Autor hat viele Einzelheiten der einzelnen Persönlichkeiten aufgeführt。 Sie werden für mich dadurch nicht verständlicher。 Es scheint als ob die Firma ein Teil ihrer Persönlichkeit war und dieses Denken sich auch auf ihre Nachkommen übertragen hat。 Es gab anscheinend keinen moralischen Kompass。 Es ist eine Auflistung von Verflechtungen durch Heirat und Geld。 Mit vielen Zitaten die alle belegt sind werden die Tatsachen untermauert。 Er schreibt in chronologischer Reihenfolge und wechselt von einem Mann zum anderen。 Wie die Firmen auch nach Ende des Krieges weiter existieren und sich auch entwickeln konnten wird mit der Angst vor dem Kommunismus begründet。 Für mich die in einer Zeit aufgewachsen ist， in der die Anerkennung unserer Verantwortung für die Schuld vorangegangener Generationen wichtig ist， eine schwer verständliche Argumentation。Das Buch ist eine journalistische Arbeit， eine Aufzählung von Tatsachen。 Das Gefühl das alle gleich gedacht und gehandelt haben macht Angst。 。。。more
Jan Jaap
，
Zag vandaag de bespreking in VK V7 （2022 0504 we）。 https://www。meulenhoff。nl/search？sear。。。 auteur https://www。meulenhoff。nl/producten/n。。。 boekpagina Zag vandaag de bespreking in VK V7 （2022 0504 we）。 https://www。meulenhoff。nl/search？sear。。。 auteur https://www。meulenhoff。nl/producten/n。。。 boekpagina 。。。more
Ron
，
Vignette-style makes you feel a bit haunted and dissatisfied， which is kind of appropriate。
Mary
，