Georg von Opel

Georg von Opel
von Opel and wife Emily in 2020
Born
Georg von Opel

(1966-05-04) May 4, 1966 (age 58)
NationalityGerman
CitizenshipSwitzerland
EducationUniversity of Rhode Island
American InterContinental University
OccupationInvestor
SpouseEmily Bond
Children5
RelativesAdam Opel (great-grandfather)

Georg von Opel (born 4 May 1966) is a German-born Swiss billionaire and heir, great-grandson of Adam Opel who founded the German car manufacturer Opel AG.

Early life and education

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Von Opel was born on 4 May 1966 in Kronberg im Taunus, West Germany to Georg Friedrich Karl Adam von Opel, who was the son of Carl von Opel, and grandson of Adam Opel, and his third wife Ingrid (née Revers; b. 1945). Since 1973, his family had been a resident of Switzerland and von Opel naturalized in 2014.[1]

He studied economics and business administration at the University of Rhode Island and the American InterContinental University, London.[2][3]

Career

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In April 2015, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated his net worth at GBP £1.3 billion.[4] According to the Sunday Times Rich List, this had increased to £1.654 billion in 2020.[5] His wealth primarily comes from Hansa AG, a holding company that invests in listed equities and private-equity funds. von Opel's real estate portfolio includes properties in the south of England, Majorca and the Engadin region in the Swiss Alps.[6]

Donations

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von Opel is a major donor to the UK's Conservative Party.[7] Through his foundation, the Georg and Emily von Opel Foundation, he has financially supported Oxford professor Sunetra Gupta who has argued against societal restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic and was one of the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration.[8]

Personal life

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Opel and his British-born wife, the former professional tennis player Emily Bond, have five children, and live in London, England.[9] Opel was born a German citizen, became a Swiss resident in 1973, and a Swiss citizen in 2014.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Georg von Opel: Mann mit einem guten Riecher". www.handelsblatt.com (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  2. ^ "Georg VON OPEL - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  3. ^ Stocks. "Stocks". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  4. ^ "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times. No. 31. 26 April 2014.
  5. ^ Times, The Sunday. "Rich List 2020: profiles 51-100, featuring Bernie Ecclestone". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  6. ^ "Georg von Opel". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  7. ^ Leigh, David; Ball, James; Garside, Juliette; Pegg, David (2015-02-11). "HSBC files show Tories raised over £5m from HSBC Swiss account holders". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "Tory billionaire bankrolled 'herd immunity' scientist who advised PM against lockdown". openDemocracy.net. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  9. ^ a b "Forbes profile:Georg von Opel". Forbes. Retrieved 8 January 2019.