STEPHAN SCHMIDHEINY: SAINT OR SINNER?
Laurie Kazan-Allen
Presented at: meeting of the Brazilian Association of
the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA)
Osasco, Brazil, November 2009

They say that “no man is a hero to his valet.” In other words, there is a discrepancy
between the public image of an individual and the human reality, warts and all. Even
bearing this in mind, the gap between the opinions held of Stephan Schmidheiny,
formerly the head of the Swiss Eternit Asbestos Group, is unbridgeable. Is he, as Forbes
Magazine recently wrote “the Bill Gates of Switzerland,” or is he, as many asbestos
victims feel, someone who deserves to be imprisoned for the deadly crimes Eternit
perpetrated. 1Saint?
The Forbes article asserts that Stephan Schmidheiny is a truly great man; aphilanthropist and a visionary whose life is dedicated to promoting causes such assustainable development, wealth creation and human dignity; other Schmidheiny
priorities, according to his website, include: liberty, democracy, equality and socialresponsibility. 2 Forbes Journalist Tatiana Serafin categorizes Schmidheiny as “one of theworld’s least well known and most foresighted philanthropists.” Praising his generosityand “creative giving,” the author does however query Schmidheiny’s perception ofhimself as a “self-made entrepreneur,” noting that he is a member of the fourth
generation of a Swiss industrial dynasty. 3 In a statement on his website, the Swissbillionaire confides: 4“I am a businessman, a citizen, a father, a hiker, an art collector, and aphilanthropist… I have devoted an important part of my wealth and time topromoting a new form of philanthropy… As a philanthropist, my desire was to spur
positive social change, particularly helping the neediest, and safeguard
opportunities, as best I could for future generations.” 5

1Serafin T. The Bill Gates of Switzerland. Forbes Magazine. October 5, 2009.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1005/creative-giving-philanthrophy-bill-gates-of-switzerland.html
2Forbes is an American publishing and media company; the motto of its flagship publication, Forbes
magazine, is "The Capitalist Tool."
3
The Schmidheiny family has been called “Switzerland’s No. 1 industrial dynasty… the most influential
family of entrepreneurs in Switzerland.” Catrina W. Stephan Schmidheiny - Beautiful Legacy.
http://www.vivatrust.com/ImagesViva/BilanzEngSTS.pdf
4“Between 1984 and 1999 Schmidheiny’s net worth doubled from US$2 billion to US$4.4 billion.”
Berman D.M., Knoepfli A. Asbestos Magnate to Environmental Guru: The Morphing of Stephan
Schmidheiny. 2000. http://worldasbestosreport.org/gac2000/A15_7_88.html
5
http://www.stephanschmidheiny.net/biography/

1Many who have suffered at the hands of Eternit, the Schmidheiny family company,
could quite appropriately ask not only where this wealth came from but also who are “theneediest.” Some people might class former Eternit workers who have contracted the fataland aggressive cancer mesothelioma as among the “neediest.” Given the total disregard
with which they have been treated by Eternit, one must presume that neither the company
nor Schmidheiny would agree.
Going to the font of all knowledge – Schmidheiny’s website – it is clear that he is most
comfortable when writing about philanthropic challenges, new dynamics, sustainable
development and entrepreneurial activities. He comments about the need to take “mybusiness group out of asbestos” more than once:“I took the decision to get out of asbestos based on the human andenvironmental problems associated with the mineral. But it also seemed to me
that in an age of increasing transparency – and increasing concerns about healthrisks – it would be impossible to develop and maintain a successful business basedon asbestos.” 6
Well, isn’t that nice! But what about those for whom this decision was too late: those
who had been exposed to Eternit asbestos? Eternit’s asbestos victims remain
unacknowledged, uncompensated and unmentioned on this website. This is not anoversight; it is company policy.
On September 30, 2004, Dr Ulrich F. Gruber, an Eternit associate of long standing,gave a presentation on the subject: Mesothelioma, prospective from the industry to a
medical workshop held in Ermatingen, Switzerland. Neither in the 23 slides he presented,
nor in the written paper he submitted did Gruber mention his connection to the Swiss
Eternit Group. In the email list at the back of the collected papers, the only affiliation helisted was BECON. Yet in 1986, Gruber testified before the United States Environmental
Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. “on behalf of the Swiss Eternit Group.” His
continuing links to the Swiss Eternit Group were confirmed by the conference organizer.
Gruber's badly written paper reads like a liturgy of excuses for the asbestos industry;
typical statements include the following (the italics have been inserted):•••

6“Were scientists forced to inform entrepreneurs and engineers about the dangersof asbestos? Or are entrepreneurs asked to read original medical publications, arethey in a position to understand them?”“Are specialists of internal medicine and thoracic surgeons forced to read theBritish Journal of Industrial Medicine, where Wagner published his first report onmesothelioma?”“How much time may medical doctors use in order to inform the rest of theworld?”

http://www.stephanschmidheiny.net/business-career/

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•

•

“Do the critics of the asbestos industry realize that there weren't any goodalternatives for asbestos fibres at the time the reports on the adverse effects ofasbestos appeared?”“Tobacco abuse by most workers, the prevalence of tuberculosis, the extremely
long latency periods of asbestos-related diseases and the lack of rapid internetcommunication up to the 1990ies (sic) were important factors responsible for thefact that it took a long time until large parts of the asbestos industry stopped theuse of asbestos and found reliable alternatives.”

The concept of “compensation” was entirely lacking from Gruber’s presentation as wasregret for the epidemic of asbestos disease and death created by the company. Whenchallenged about Eternit's obligation to its victims in Osasco, Gruber replied that injured
Eternit workers in Brazil should seek compensation from their government. It is ofrelevance to note that Gruber’s paper concluded with a reference to a 2004 article – “anexcellent review of this subject” – written by British historian Peter Bartrip. In 2006,
Bartrip published a book, considered by many to be a whitewash of industry negligenceon asbestos; 7 the author had received financial “support” to write the manuscript from theBritish asbestos giant, T&N. 8Following the Mesothelioma Workshop in Ermatingen, a meeting was held in Geneva(October 2, 2004) which was organized by CAOVA, a Swiss asbestos victims' group,Ban Asbestos France and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS). The
highlight of the day was the morning session during which Swiss, French and Italianasbestos victims, family members and campaigners spoke out about their personalexperiences. The bravery exhibited by mesothelioma victims who were willing to share
their fight for life with the audience was inspirational. Throughout these interventions, an
unknown man sitting at the back of the hall took notes. Monsieur X was recognized by
two of the Ermatingen speakers who were also participating in the Geneva meeting as
one of the people who had been accompanying Gruber.
Laurie Kazan-Allen, Coordinator of IBAS, asked Monsieur X if he was associated withEternit. He replied: “I work part-time for Eternit and am here on a private informationgathering exercise.” When Francois Iselin, one of the organizers of the meeting, wasapprised of the presence and affiliation of Monsieur X, Francois interrupted the meetingand asked Monsieur X if he had anything to say; he declined. In an article whichappeared the following morning in the Swiss newspaper Le Matin, Journalist Camille
Krafft noted the presence of the Eternit spy at the meeting:

7Bartrip P. Beyond the Factory Gates – Asbestos and Health in Twentieth Century America. 2006
Continuum.
8Kazan-Allen L. T&N Exposed. British Asbestos Newsletter. Issue 37: Winter 1999/2000.
http://www.lkaz.demon.co.uk/ban37.htm

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“Different Italian witnesses and the discrete presence in the room yesterday of an
Eternit representative who refused to comment showed that the current scandal ofthis Swiss enterprise, formerly associated with asbestos, is still ongoing.” 9Sinner?
Long-time Schmidheiny observers, Daniel Berman and Adrian Knoepfli, summed up
the “asbestos magnate’s” transformation from industrialist to environmental guru as
follows:“Stephan Schmidheiny decided ‘to take his money and run’ from Eternit’s looming(asbestos) disaster, and reinvest it in book projects, intellectuals, universities and‘philanthropic’ enterprises around the globe, while leaving sick and dying workers
to their own devices. In the 1990s he launched himself on the world stage as anenvironmental thinker and benefactor…” 10Whatever his green credentials and the size of his charitable donations, there is no
statute of limitations on murder. On December 10, 2009 Stephan Schmidheiny andanother Eternit executive will be charged for their part in the Eternit Group's allegedly
negligent behavior in exposing Italian citizens to asbestos. This is the culmination ofyears of research and preparation by Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello and his team whoare mounting the largest legal action to be held in Turin. The charges are being brought
against the Eternit officials on behalf of 2,500+ former Eternit employees from factories
in Casale Monferrato (Alessandria), Cavagnolo (Turin), Rubiera (Reggio Emilia) andBagnoli (Naples), and hundreds of family members or local residents who received paraoccupational or environmental exposure to Eternit asbestos.
The Prosecutor is alleging that even though the company knew of the dangers ofworking with asbestos, it did not take measures such as providing personal protective
equipment or improving indoor ventilation systems to protect the workers; steps which
could have prevented local people from harmful exposures to Eternit asbestos such as thelaundering of work clothes by the company or better control of asbestos emissions by thefactory were also not implemented. The consequences of these failures to act were theasbestos-related diseases contracted by the victims. 11
Manipulating Public Opinion
In light of the upcoming trial in Turin, the appearance of the glowing commentary inForbes would seem quite fortuitous: a coincidence or part of the well-honed Schmidheiny
public relations machine?
9“Differents temoignages d'Italiens et la presence discrete dans la salle hier d'un representant d'Eternit, qui
s'est refuse a tout commentaire, demontrent que le scandale entourant cette enterprise suisse autrefois
specialisee dans l'amiante est toujours vivant.” English translation provided by the author.
10Berman D, Knoepfli A. Asbestos Magnate to Environmental Guru: The Morphing of Stephan
Schmidheiny. GAC 2000 CD. 2000.
http://worldasbestosreport.org/gac2000/A15_7~88.PDF
11History-making trial in Turin. HESA Newsletter. March 2009.
http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/newsletter/files/NWL_35_UK_p19.pdf
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The Forbes piece notes that Schmidheiny “avoids the press.” Indeed Maria Roselli,author of The Asbestos Lie, was unable to interview Schmidheiny during the course ofextensive research on the worldwide operations of the Eternit Group; academics andreporters have reported similar difficulties. 12 And yet, freelance journalist Werner Catrina,
author of The Eternit Report 13 and Stephan Schmidheiny - The Beautiful Legacy, does notseem to share this problem. 14 I guess this might be because Schmidheiny does not havereason to fear exposure from a man who writes so sympathetically about him:“… the ominous material (asbestos) haunts the former Eternit heir to this day
because workers are becoming ill years after their exposure to asbestos. The
departure from asbestos, the associated struggles, the hostility – even eventual
success – have, according to his own admission, affected Stephan Schmidheiny
deeply and hold the key both to his commitment and to his personal
interpretation of industrial responsibility.”
Conclusion
Nowadays Stephan Schmidheiny hobnobs with the great and good. Academic honors
and civic awards have been heaped upon him and he has reached, as one commentator
put it, probably “the highest state of personal happiness.” 15 While we do not wish to rainon his parade, it should be pointed out that it is now 40 years since the hazardous
exposures he experienced at Eternit’s Osasco asbestos-cement factory. Speaking about
the occupational conditions as they were in 1969, Schmidheiny reported that:“(I) frequently helped load asbestos bags and pour(ed) the fibers into the mixer,
breathing in deeply all the while due to the exertion the work entailed. At the end of
a hard day's work, I would often be covered in white dust.” 16Considering the long latency period for asbestos-related cancer and the fact that it is now
40 years since the exposures took place, Schmidheiny should be on the lookout for
symptoms such as breathlessness, a persistent cough, loss of appetite or fatigue as an
early diagnosis of mesothelioma and lung cancer can provide more treatment options.
Many of Schmidheiny’s former workmates did not live to enjoy “the highest state ofpersonal happiness;” they paid with their lives for the privilege of having been employedby Eternit. One of the Osasco asbestos dead was João Francisco Grabenweger; hebefriended the young Swiss man when he was sent to Osasco. Upon learning of his fatal

12

Roselli M. Die Asbest-Lüge Geschichte und Gegenwart einer Industriekatastrophe.2007.
Roselli M. Amiante & Eternit Fortunes et Forfaitures. 2008.
13
Catrina W. Der Eternit-Report. 1985.
14
http://www.vivatrust.com/ImagesViva/BilanzEngSTS.pdf
15
Luchinger R. His long journey to himself. August 28, 2008. Die Weltwoche Magazine.
http://www.avina.net/web/siteavina.nsf/NoticiasAnterioresCateng/B490F2DCE14F85A4032574C8005B9D
FE?OpenDocument&idioma=eng&sistema=1
16
http://www.stephanschmidheiny.net/business-career/5

diagnosis, Grabenweger appealed to Schmidheiny to intercede on his behalf. The appeal
fell on deaf eyes.
Next time, Schmidheiny thinks about industrial responsibility, environmental justiceand good governance, he might remember those he left behind in Osasco. Endowing an
institute for treatment and research into asbestos-related diseases in Osasco might gosome way towards righting the many wrongs done to Brazil’s asbestos-injured; it mightalso, one day, save his life.

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