Kühne + Nagel: Grand shareholder Kühne criticizes Lufthansa sharply | EUROtoday

The logistics entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kühne criticizes the board of Lufthansa and calls for profound adjustments within the firm. “Lufthansa is too fragmented, there are too many brand names,” mentioned Kühne in an interview with Welt am Sonntag. For instance, it bothered if he had booked a flight from the Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss, however then sit in a aircraft of a very totally different airline. Lufthansa has structural issues. “I will leave it open whether the board passes sufficiently. In my opinion, more could happen,” mentioned the entrepreneur. With a share of 20 %, Kühne is the most important Lufthansa shareholder.

With its majority stake in Kühne + Nagel and as a big shareholder of Lufthansa, Hapag-Lloyd, Brenntag or Flixbus, Kühne is likely one of the most influential buyers in Europe. In the interview, the 88-year-old Kühne additionally handled the US politics beneath Donald Trump in a number of days. When requested what he would say to the US President, if he had the chance to take action, Kühne mentioned: “I would tell him that the turret by tariff is a madness. Two steps and one back, it paralyzes the economy and creates uncertainty.” The United States ought to play its position in such a method that freedom, democracy and market economic system are the figuring out components. “I hope that Trump realizes which crap he makes,” mentioned Kühne.

The developments within the United States additionally endure the worldwide delivery. Kühne can also be the most important shareholder within the Hapag-Lloyd line. “I worry about Hapag-Lloyd,” mentioned the entrepreneur. The container delivery firm simply ordered 24 ships in a single fell swoop. “If the trading volume is now declining worldwide, there will be overcapacity for the ships,” mentioned Kühne. This may result in a repressed competitors. “I would have been more reluctant to order the new ship buildings,” mentioned Kühne.

Entrepreneur Kühne additionally commented on the Austrian actual property investor René Benko, who obtained out of business and has been detained for allegations of fraud. Kühne invested Benko’s mission of the Hamburg Elbtower mission and is claimed to have misplaced round half a billion euros. “It should result in this if there is nothing left to get from the bankruptcy proceedings,” mentioned Kühne on the quantity of the sum. It is a phenomenon for him how a lot he had Benko lulled. “I went to the glue to a crook. I didn’t see his network of companies,” mentioned Kühne. Benko deserved to sit down in jail.

Birger Nicolai is an financial correspondent in Hamburg. He stories about Shipping, Logisticsthe one Petrol stations– and Coffee market in addition to SME firm.