Germany Ranks Third in Female Billionaires: What Their Degrees Reveal

A while ago, we analyzed the universities behind Germany’s billionaires & start-up founders and found some interesting trends. But here’s another fact—Germany has the third-highest number of female billionaires in the world, after the U.S. and China! According to Forbes, there were 35 female billionaires in Germany in 2024.

So, we did what we like doing best: we analyzed their educational backgrounds and industries. Here are our findings:

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Insights

From our research and the data available, we found that out of 35 female billionaires in Germany, ten of them studied at German universities, and six others studied at universities abroad.
The rest either did not pursue higher education or have no publicly available information about their academic background.
In total, 45.7% of German female billionaires hold a university degree (from a German university or abroad).
Among German female billionaires with a higher education degree, 62.5% of them earned it from a German university. All of them chose public universities in Germany.
The most popular field of study for female billionaires in Germany is arts and humanities (37.5% of those with a higher education degree studied this field).
Although Germany ranks third globally for the number of women billionaires, they account for just 3.12% of self-made billionaires and 38.03% of those with inherited wealth.

German Female Billionaires That Completed Higher Education Studies and Their Alma Maters

Susanne Klatten ($26.5B) – University of Buckingham and IMD Business School, MBA
Anna Katharina Viessmann ($3.6B) – University of Passau, International Cultural and Business Studies
Karin Sartorius-Herbst ($3.4B) – University of Göttingen, Economics
Katharina Otto-Bernstein ($3.1B) – Columbia University, MFA in Film
Julia Thiele-Schürhoff ($3B) – Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Law
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler-Thumann $2.7B) – Vienna University, Medical School
Sophie Luise Fielmann ($2.7B) – University of Cambridge, Psychology PhD Researcher
Yvonne Bauer ($2.3B) – University of Bamberg, German philology
Karin Schick ($2.3B) – University of Stuttgart, English and Romance languages
Regine Leibinger ($1.9B) – Technical University of Berlin and Harvard University, Architecture
Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller ($1.9B) – University of Freiburg, University of Vermont, and ETH Zurich, German, English, and Japanese
Eva Maria Braun-Lüdicke ($1.7B) – FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, American studies
Friederike Braun-Lüdicke ($1.7B) – University of Passau, International Cultural and Business Studies
Ulrike Meister ($1.6B) – University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Johanna Braun ($1.4B) – Goldsmith, University of London and ESCP Business School, B.A. Theater Arts, Master in European Management
Anna Maria Braun ($1.4B) – Georgetown University, Master of Laws

Please find the full table at the end.

Arts & Humanities Are Most the Popular Study Fields, Followed by Business and Economics

From our list of female billionaires with a higher education degree, the most popular study fields are as follows: six of them studied a field belonging to Arts and Humanities, five studied Business and Economics, three studied Life Sciences and Medicine, followed by two female billionaires who studied Law.

While there is diversity in their study fields, there is a clear lack of representation of women in technical fields such as engineering and computer science, especially when compared to their male counterparts on our list.

This gap could point to broader trends of fewer women pursuing technical disciplines, as seen in in Germany. In the winter semester of 2023/2024, only 32.6% of the 1,049,902 STEM students were women.

While women are well-represented in some areas like mathematics, natural sciences, chemistry, and pharmacy, their numbers remain notably low in fields like computer science (22.4%) and engineering sciences (25.2%).

Most Female Billionaires in Germany Studied at Public Universities in Germany

All ten female billionaires who studied in Germany attended public universities. This reinforces the idea that affordability does not mean lower quality. Unlike in the U.S., where private universities are often seen as more prestigious, public universities in Germany are highly respected.

Inherited Wealth or Self-Made? Gender Disparities in Wealth

Based on a analyzing the proportion of female billionaires (2023), Germany had the highest share of them at 27.18%, far surpassing the United States (13.05%) and China (8.73%).

However, according to the study, female billionaires in Germany make up only 3.12% of all self-made billionaires in the country. Whereas, they make up 38.03% of billionaires with inherited wealth.

This not only points to an obvious gap in self-made female billionaires, but also one in inherited wealth, seeing as the share of German men who inherited their wealth is almost 62%.

A by the German Institute for Economic Research also points out that men tend to inherit their wealth earlier in life and use it, whereas many women often receive inheritances in old age, which limits their ability to leverage it for ventures like growing their business or starting a new one.

The Full Table: List of German Female Billionaires and Their Alma Maters

The table lists female billionaires and their Forbes Global Ranking (2024), Net Worth (2024), Industry, Company, Age, University, Degree / School, and Occupation / Position.

Billionaire	Forbes Global Ranking 2024	Net Worth (2024)	Industry	Company	Age	University	Degree / School	Occupation / Position
Susanne Klatten	71	$26.5B	Automotive, Pharmaceuticals	Bayerische Motoren Werke & Skion GmbH	62	University of Buckingham, IMD Business School	Business Finance, MBA	Businesswoman, investor, and billionaire heiress
Anna Katharina Viessmann	896	$3.6B	Heating and Cooling Equipment	Viessmann Group	N/A	University of Passau	International Cultural and Business Studies	Board Member
Karin Sartorius-Herbst	949	$3.4B	Biopharmaceuticals	Sartorius AG	70	University of Göttingen	Economics	Investor and heiress
Katharina Otto-Bernstein	1062	$3.1B	Film Production	FMI	61	Columbia University	MFA in Film	German-American filmmaker and film producer
Julia Thiele-Schürhoff	1104	$3B	Brakes, Investments	Knorr-Bremse AG	53	Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich	Law	Lawyer
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler-Thumann	1238	$2.7B	Auto Parts	Schaeffler Group	83	Vienna University	Medical School	Shareholder of the Schaeffler Group and Managing Director of IHO Verwaltungs GmbH
Sophie Luise Fielmann	1238	$2.7B	Optometry	Fielmann Group AG	30	University of Cambridge	PhD Student, Department of Psychology	Psychology researcher and heiress
Yvonne Bauer	1438	$2.3B	Magazines, Media	Bauer Media Group	47	University of Bamberg	German Philology	CEO of Bauer Media Group
Karin Schick	1438	$2.3B	Information Technology	Bechtle AG	54	University of Stuttgart	English and Romance Languages	Shareholder of Bechtle AG, patron of Gerhard und Ilse Schick Stiftung
Regine Leibinger	1694	$1.9B	Machine Tools	TRUMPF	62	Technical University of Berlin and Harvard University	Architecture	Architect
Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller	1694	$1.9B	Manufacturing	TRUMPF	65	University of Freiburg, University of Vermont, and ETH Zurich	German, English, and Japanese	CEO
Eva Maria Braun-Lüdicke	1851	$1.7B	Medical Technology	B. Braun Melsungen	38	FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg	American Studies	Digital Campaign Manager
Friederike Braun-Lüdicke	1851	$1.7B	Medical Technology	B. Braun Melsungen	41	University of Passau	International Cultural and Business Studies	Head of Culture & Diversity
Ulrike Meister	1945	$1.6B	Kitchen Appliances	Rational AG	57	University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover	N/A	Investor and philanthropist
Johanna Braun	2152	$1.4B	Medical Technology	B. Braun Melsungen	45	Goldsmith, University of London and ESCP Business School	B.A. Theater Arts, Master in European Management	Member of the board of the B. Braun Foundation
Anna Maria Braun	2152	$1.4B	Medical Technology	B. Braun Melsungen	46	Georgetown University	Master of Laws	Lawyer and CEO of B. Braun Melsungen

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