Dieter Schwarz

Dieter Schwarz was born on September 24, 1939 in Neckarsulm, Germany, Germany. Founded by Dieter's father, Josef, in 1930, Schwarz Group, with annual revenue exceeding $90 billion, is comprised of the Lidl and Kaufland store chains; the former is Germany's second-biggest discounter behind Aldi. The group has ambitious expansion plans for continental Europe, the U.K. and even the U.S., which it plans to enter in 2018. In June 2015, it announced plans to create more than 2,500 jobs in the U.K. as part of a $2 billion-plus, three-year expansion program there. Schwarz regularly appeared on Forbes' annual billionaires ranking in the 1990s but was taken off the list in 1999 after making the case to Forbes that he had transferred his ownership of Lidl to a charitable foundation. He returned to the list in 2013, after research showed that the Dieter Schwarz Foundation is a limited liability company with a charitable purpose, not a charitable foundation. Dividends are used to fund charitable projects, but Schwarz maintains full control over his shares and can sell them at any time. The Dieter Schwarz Foundation supports education and daycare facilities for children, science and research projects as well as other activities. In 2011, the Bildungscampus der Dieter Schwarz Stiftung opened in Heilbronn. The university campus, funded by the foundation, houses a graduate school of management and law as well as other higher education offerings. A decidedly private person who shuns all publicity, Schwarz has been married for more than 50 years and has two daughters. He has been decorated with prizes for his charitable works in Germany.
Dieter Schwarz is a member of Fashion & Retail