Clemens Toennies – Billionaire

Clemens Toennies owns 50% of German food industry giant Toennies Lebensmittel. Operating meat, convenience, ingredients and logistics divisions, the company, with annual revenue of around $6 billion, specializes in pig, sow and beef cattle slaughtering, butchering and processing. It prides itself on efficient, fully automated butchering and on having achieved “biological unity” by bringing slaughtering, butchering and packaging together under one roof, thus ensuring maximum product freshness. Clemens attended butchery college and, in 1971, cofounded the company with his brother, Bernd. Bernd died in 1994, at age 42, passing on his stake to his son, Robert, who now owns 50% of the business. (Since 2012, Clemens and Robert have been engaged in a legal dispute involving shares in the company to which both parties lay claim.) Toennies Lebensmittel currently employs more than 8,000 people in facilities in Germany and Denmark. Separately, Clemens owns a majority stake in meat company zur Muehlen Group, which produces over two billion packages a year bearing such popular brand names as Boeklunder, Koenecke, Redlefsen, Schulte and Plumrose. He also presides over a pro soccer team, FC Schalke 04; based in Gelsenkirchen, it plays in the top tier of the German league system.

Source:forbes