German businessman Klaus-Michael Kühne has become one of Europe’s most powerful private investors in logistics and transport. Through his holding company based in Switzerland, Kühne now controls significant stakes in shipping, aviation, and freight management, reinforcing his position as a central figure in the region’s interconnected trade industries. Kühne remains the majority owner of Kuehne + Nagel, the logistics group founded by his grandfather in 1890. With operations in more than 100 countries and a workforce of tens of thousands, the company continues to rank among the world’s leading providers of sea, air, and contract logistics. Kühne Holding owns just over half of the company’s shares, securing long-term control over its strategy. His influence also extends to Europe’s maritime and aviation sectors. He holds roughly 30 percent of Hapag-Lloyd, the container shipping line based in Hamburg, and around 15 percent of Lufthansa, Germany’s flagship airline. The investments link air, sea, and land transport under a single investor’s umbrella, giving Kühne a unique role in shaping how Europe’s trade flows connect. While the businessman keeps a relatively low public profile, his economic footprint is substantial. He was among the first major shareholders to call for stricter management discipline at Lufthansa during the airline’s post-pandemic restructuring. His holding company’s engagement in Hapag-Lloyd has also aligned with the global container shipping boom, which expanded sharply during and after the COVID-19 period. Beyond his commercial interests, Kühne finances a foundation that supports research and education in logistics, medicine, and the arts. The Kühne Foundation, based in Schindellegi, contributes to universities and cultural institutions in Hamburg, Zurich, and St. Gallen. Public interest in Kühne’s fortune has recently intensified amid renewed scrutiny of how German family enterprises grew during the 20th century. Independent historians have called for continued transparency in examining how the Kühne family business developed through the wartime and post-war years. Now in his late eighties, Kühne remains active in corporate and philanthropic affairs, overseeing one of Europe’s largest privately controlled transport portfolios. His combined holdings in logistics, shipping, and aviation give him a level of cross-sector influence unmatched in the continent’s transport economy. Source: comp.