From Judge to Millionaire: The Surprising Journey of Germany's Wealthiest Chancellor, Friedrich Merz!
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Stars (1 / 1) 17.06.2025 14:13 von Angela Symbolbild imago
Friedrich Merz has made it: After a failed first round of voting, he was finally elected as the tenth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. At 68 years old, he is the oldest chancellor since Konrad Adenauer - and presumably one of the wealthiest to ever hold this office.
New Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz - His Professional Journey
As early as 2018, Merz described himself in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper as part of the "upper middle class" - an assessment that sparked criticism in many places. After all, with an annual income of around one million euros, which he revealed to "Bild am Sonntag" the same year, he is clearly among the top earners. Merz justified his view by saying that he understands "upper class" primarily as heirs to large fortunes - which does not apply to him. He earned his wealth himself. Read more here:
From Judge to Millionaire
After graduating in law, Merz initially worked as a judge at the district court in Saarbrücken, later as a lawyer and lobbyist. From 2016 to 2020, he was chairman of the supervisory board of the German subsidiary of Blackrock - the world's largest asset manager. A job that still attracts political criticism. How much Merz earned there is officially not known. However, media reports suggest an annual income of at least 125,000 euros from Blackrock - in addition to other lucrative posts: 80,000 euros from Wepa, 75,000 euros from HSBC, 14,000 euros from Cologne/Bonn Airport - to name but a few. Previous engagements with companies such as BASF, AXA, Commerzbank, or Borussia Dortmund are likely to have further increased his wealth. When asked if he was a millionaire, Merz once dryly replied: "I'm certainly not below that."