From the Editor
  • Heir to the Aldi retail fortune, Karl Albrecht Jr. is the son of Karl Albrecht Sr., who died in 2014 at age 94. His sister, Beate Heister, is also a billionaire.
  • After World War II, Karl Sr. and his brother, Theo Sr., who died in 2010 at age 88, took over their family's corner grocery store in Essen, Germany.
  • In 1961, the brothers split ownership: Karl Sr. took the stores in southern Germany (Aldi Sued), plus rights to the Aldi brand in the U.K., Australia and the U.S.
  • In the U.S., Aldi has more than 2,000 stores in 36 states, offering low prices and no-frills shopping.
  • Theo Sr. got the stores in northern Germany and the rest of Europe. In 1971, he bought U.S. grocery chain Trader Joe's.
Wealth History
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Personal Stats
Age
76
Source of Wealth
Supermarkets
Residence
Germany
Citizenship
Germany
Did you know
Karl Jr., who has no children, worked different positions at the company but withdrew from his duties after a cancer diagnosis.
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