At the age of 19, Reinhold Würth assumed control of his father’s modest screw wholesaling business in 1954. Over the following decades, he transformed this regional operation into the Würth Group, a global industrial supplier that generated €19.9 billion in sales by 2022. His career path defines the postwar German transition toward international commercial expansion.
Early Career and Expansion
Born in Öhringen in 1935, Würth entered his father Adolf’s business in 1949 at the age of 14, serving as the firm's second employee. Following his father’s death in 1954, he took full management control in 1956. He pivoted the company toward international markets, establishing the first foreign subsidiary in the Netherlands in 1962. By 2020, the group operated through 400 companies across more than 80 countries.
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To ensure long-term stability, Würth established four family foundations in 1987, transferring his operational shares into them. He served as chairman of the company’s advisory board until 2006 and led the Foundation Supervisory Board until 31 December 2024. His daughter, Bettina Würth, has chaired the advisory board since 2006, while his grandson, Benjamin Würth, assumed the role of chairman of the Foundation Supervisory Board in 2025.
Art Collection and Academic Contributions
Beyond his industrial work, Würth is a noted art collector. Since the 1960s, he has assembled a collection that exceeded 18,300 works by 2021, focusing primarily on late 19th-century movements and beyond. His academic contributions included heading the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 1999 to 2003. He holds the honorary title Prof. Dr. h. c. mult.
Legal and Financial History
In 2006, the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation into tax allocation practices between Würth's domestic and foreign subsidiaries. To avoid lengthy litigation, Würth settled the case by paying a fine and repaying the tax debt. The conviction, which resulted in 700 daily fines, was expunged in 2012. As of November 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at $33.6 billion.
Fast facts
- Born: 1935, Öhringen, Germany
- Company: Würth Group
- Net Worth: $33.6 billion (Forbes, Nov 2024)
- Collection: Over 18,300 artworks
- Residence: Künzelsau, Germany
- Spouse: Carmen Würth (m. 1956)
- Education/Role: University teacher, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- Awards: Reinhold Maier Medal (2002), Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (1994)
Questions readers ask
Who currently leads the Würth Group?
Benjamin Würth serves as chairman of the Foundation Supervisory Board, and Bettina Würth chairs the advisory board.
What is the primary focus of the Würth art collection?
The collection focuses on works created from the late 19th century onwards.
Achievements
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg — 1994
- Reinhold Maier Medal — 2002
- Holdings: Würth Collection and Darmstadt Madonna
- Affiliated with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
