After Benko bankruptcies
Wolfgang Grupp understands “hammering” on rich people
February 1, 2024, 1:14 a.m
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The ex-Trigema boss Wolfgang Grupp is calling for more responsibility and liability from entrepreneurs in Germany in view of the increasing number of insolvencies. He even received advice to go bankrupt in order to become richer.
Former Trigema boss Wolfgang Grupp criticizes the increasing number of bankruptcies in Germany, particularly the insolvency of investor René Benko. “When I see that bankruptcies have increased by 26 percent last year and that a Benko gets 14 billion in loans and makes one bankruptcy after another, then I understand that the rich are being hammered,” Grupp told the “Spiegel.” “.
“It can’t be the case that people collect while things are going well and then give up and then the taxpayer has to step in,” the entrepreneur continued. “We need responsibility and liability back in our economic life.”
Grupp reported that he himself was contacted by an insolvency advisor. “He wrote to me that I was in an industry that was not sustainable and that he wanted to advise me. I should go bankrupt, then I would be richer than usual,” Grupp continued. “If something like that is possible in a constitutional state and this insolvency law firm is not dissolved immediately, then I’m sorry! We have to ensure law and order.”
Grupp recently relinquished his leadership position
Wolfgang Grupp resigned from his position as head of his company at the beginning of the year. The 81-year-old sole managing director and owner is handing over management to his daughter Bonita and his son Wolfgang Grupp Jr., the manufacturer of sports and leisure clothing announced last year.
Since 1969 he had run the textile manufacturer Trigema in Burladingen ( Zollernalbkreis ). The medium-sized company is known throughout Germany because he likes to express his opinion with pithy sayings and thus offend people. And because for many years he has been chatting with a monkey about Trigema at prime time, in advertising before the Tagesschau.
Grupp was an old-school entrepreneur who didn’t have a computer at his large desk. As a registered merchant, he was personally liable with his entire assets for the company, which, according to his own information, was the last textile company to produce exclusively in Germany. Children of employees are guaranteed a training place.