Otto Beisheim
Otto Beisheim (3 January 1924 – 18 February 2013) was a German businessman and founder of Metro AG. In 2010, his net worth was estimated at US$3.6 billion. Early life. In October 1942, Otto Besheim voluntarily joined the Waffen-SS. During this time, he temporarily served as "Sturmmann" (Private) in the SS Division Leibstandarte in an artillery regiment on the Eastern Front. There is no historical indication that he was involved in war crimes during his assignment with the Waffen-SS. In 1943, Beisheim incurred a light injury in July in the Battle of Kursk in July 1943 , and a severe injury in December near Berdychiv. In July 1944, following an extensive period of recovery in various military hospitals, Beisheim served as a Private in an administrative unit before he was taken as a British prisoner of war in May 1945. He was released in March 1946. Career. After the war, Beisheim went into business. The first Metro Market opened in November 1963 in Essen-Altenessen. On 10 January 2004, Beisheim Center was officially opened on the northwest side of Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, built for 463 million euros, and including the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott chains. In  2009, he sold 5.2% of the shares of Metro AG to various national and international investors; a further 3.1% could be sold. The WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, in Vallendar is named after him. Death. on 18 February 2013 Beisheim committed suicide in his home in Rottach-Egern, Germany. The Bisheim Group issued a statement that Bisheim chose to take his own life after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.