Mercedes-Benz, one of the world’s most iconic brands, has a unique and storied history of ownership. Popularly known for its luxury cars, the brand began in 1902 when German engineer Gottlieb Daimler and his business partner Karl Benz co-founded their eponymous companies. The two joined forces in 1926 to create a single entity, Mercedes-Benz.
Today the company is part of the larger multinational manufacturer Daimler AG which was established in 1998 and incorporated in 2007 when it emerged from its merger with Chrysler. The chairman and CEO of today's Mercedes parent company is Dr Dieter Zetsche who assumed his position on May 30th, 2006. As the head of Daimler AG, he oversees all aspects of parent company organization including the manufacturing and sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles worldwide. %%
The majority owner — or “controlling shareholder” — of Daimler AG is Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) with almost 10 percent stake in shares. KIA is a Kuwaiti government agency founded in 1953 to manage foreign assets for the country’s Future Generations Fund which was established after 1956 as a sovereign wealth fund that invests internationally on behalf of Kuwait’s population.
In addition to KIA many other institutional investors own a diverse portfolio including institutional shareholders such as Deutsche Bank AG, Credit Suisse Group AG and BlackRock Inc., all have an investing interest in Mercedes-Benz and its parent company (Daimler AG). In conclusion while there may not be an individual person considered to be 'the' owner of Mercedes-Benz other entities do serve as custodians or 'stewards' investing on behalf of their clients or shareholders are ultimately who owns this iconic brand's fortune today.
Who founded Mercedes-Benz?
Mercedes-Benz, one of the world’s most iconic luxury vehicles, was founded in 1926 by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler after the two pioneers combined their businesses. Not many people know that this was the first officially recorded instance of a merger between two companies in German automotive history. This momentous occasion set Daimler-Benz on the path to become one of the largest automakers globally today.
Karl Benz had a lifelong interest in automobiles and was almost always working on something related to them. Since his early twenties, he dedicated his time learning more about cars and their engines and would later establish one of first manufacturing company of petrol powered cars. In contrast, Gottlieb Daimler was initially a young mechanical engineer who worked as an apprentice for his family’s machine shop. After learning all he could he decided to move to France where he worked with both expert mechanics and renowned inventors which helped him develop innovative ideas for car production.
After years of hard work, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler finally came together to merge their businesses when they realized they could become more successful than they could ever be apart. As soon as the story hit front pages, it sent shock waves in the automotive industry and from that moment Mercedes-Benz emerged with an unstoppable force paving the way for modern luxury vehicles like we know them today.
Who is the CEO of Mercedes-Benz?
The CEO of Mercedes-Benz is Ola Källenius. He was appointed CEO of the German luxury auto brand in May 2019 and brings with him an impressive mobility and automotive pedigree.
Källenius has been a part of the Daimler Group since 1993, when he joined the company after completing his Master's Degree in Munich. His experience prior to taking over as the company’s top executive was within the vehicle development sector, where he held multiple leadership positions with increasing responsibility. This culminated in his being appointed as a member of the Board of Management at Daimler AG in October 2013.
Since he assumed office at Mercedes-Benz, Källenius has overseen notable changes and achievements by strategically transforming the core businesses while remaining focused on sustainability and reducing emissions. Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz has consistently been a leader in technological innovation and this earned them numerous awards from both industry insiders as well automotive aficionados alike. Currently Källenius is fully focusing on strengthening its leadership position through a combination of new electric car models and further aligning with emerging trends such as robotics, knowledge networks and artificial intelligence. His efforts aim to propel Mercedes-Benz into an era of future-proof luxury mobility solutions while maintaining its place atop premium automotive brands worldwide.
Who owns the most shares in Mercedes-Benz?
At a first glance, one might assume that Mercedes-Benz is owned by its parent company, Daimler AG. However, the most shares in the German car manufacturer are actually owned by investment funds, with AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund being the biggest shareholder with a staggering 20.8% of the company’s total shares.
This New York-based mutual fund was founded in 2000 and is one of the leading funds for global high income equity investments. The fund consists of investments from both private and institutional investors in several countries worldwide and helps these investors achieve a high level of liquidity, capital appreciation, and yield potential while aiming to as low a risk as possible. The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted stringent security measures to make sure that their investments are well-protected since large companies like Mercedes-Benz are prone to risks such as political instability or stock market volatility.
Aside from AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund, other big shareholders in Mercedes-Benz include Blackrock Institutional Trust Company (7.87%) and Vanguard Group Inc.(6.47%). It’s evident that these large mutual funds are among those with the highest stakes when it comes to investing in the automotive giant since they can generate substantial returns even during volatile markets should Mercedes-Benz demonstrates positive performance over time.
Who are the major shareholders of Mercedes-Benz?
Mercedes-Benz is one of the world's leading luxury car manufacturers, and its shareholders have a great influence over its operation. The company's major shareholders come primarily from Germany. The largest shareholder is the Daimler AG, which holds a 32.4% stake in the iconic car maker. Daimler AG has been a major financial contributor since Mercedes-Benz was originally founded in 1926 by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz as two separate companies that eventually consolidated and grew into one of the most iconic automotive brands worldwide.
Formula One racing magnate, Lawrence Stroll, is another prominent shareholder in Mercedes-Benz, holding 3.4%. Stroll has an impressive track record with F1 racing teams winning more than 20 races since his involvement began with Williams Grand Prix Engineering from 1995 until 2001. Stroll supported Pascal Wehrlein as part of Mercedes-Benz’s Formula 1 support team in 2016, launching him as a well known driver at Brackley during that year's F1 race season.
Finally, another well-known shareholder in Mercedes-Benz is businessman and philanthropist Carlos Slim Domit. Domit owns 0.5% of the company, which makes him one of the smallest stakeholders but it still gives him influence over decisions the manufacturers make concerning its products and operations. Domit also has investments in other industries like telecommunications and banking while maintaining strong philanthropic efforts focused on human development and social justice causes shaped by his own beliefs about ethical standards for growing economies across emerging markets worldwide.
Overall, there are many different respected shareholders with stakes in Mercedes-Benz’s growth and development as it continues to make luxury vehicles for people across the globe to enjoy for many years to come; many of them business moguls or race champions when it comes to motorsports that hold impressive resumes like F1 wins or industry practices such as corporate banking or telecom investments that allows them to contribute financially towards their involvement with the German automotive giant no matter how small or large they may be within Mercedes’s shareholdings portfolio.
Who is the current chairman of Mercedes-Benz?
Ola Källenius is currently the Chairman of Mercedes-Benz. Källenius took over the role in 2019 and is the first non-German to hold the position, who was previously held by Dr. Dieter Zetsche since 2006. Källenius has a distinguished career in the automotive industry, having joined Daimler AG (formerly DaimlerChrysler) in 1993.
Since his appointment, Kalleinus had worked to realise a vision of transforming Mercedes-Benz into a digital, sustainable mobility leader and built upon already established successes that saw Mercedes-Benz become one of Germany’s leading automotive companies. This transformation was essential due to increasing competition from rival brands and changing consumer preferences to look for more green options when purchasing cars.
Kallenius has adopted new strategies that have seen an increased focus on electric vehicles (EVs) as well as driverless technology which is expected to experience rapid growth within the next decade. These newly adopted strategies have been largely successful for Mercedes-Benz allowing them to maintain their lead in luxury car market share throughout Europe and globally, with further increasing sales of their EVs such as the EQC 400 due its range of over 450 km (278 miles) being offered at a relatively competitive price point.
Ola Källenius' tenure as chairman of Mercedes-Benz will no doubt go down into history as one of great success as he manages to transform what was already a great car marque into one that offers fully sustainable digital solutions alongside luxury vehicles thus creating many exciting opportunities for the future success of this iconic brand.
