Billionaire pumps in the CDU: Who is behind it?

On January 9, 2025, the party donations rose significantly, especially for the CDU, after the end of the traffic light coalition in December 2024. How FR.DE reported, the CDU received a total of 5.37 million euros during this period, which corresponds to almost ten times the donations of the SPD, which received 550.001 euros. In addition, there were 631,000 euros for the CSU, so the Union received a total of around 6 million euros. The FDP followed with 2.77 million euros and the Greens received 957,052 euros. In Hesse, the CDU was able to acquire around 850,000 euros, which corresponds to a sixth of the nationwide donations.

It is particularly noteworthy that the largest individual donation to the CDU came from Deutsche Werkensberatung in the amount of 600,000 euros. The BMW heirs Susanne Klatten and Stefan Quandt also donated 50.001 euros to the CDU. Klatten is known as Germany's richest woman with a fortune of over $ 27 billion. The FDP also received 350,000 euros from Deutsche Vermögensberatung, while CSU, Greens and SPD each received 100,000 euros. The AfD, the left and the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance received no donations in Hesse, although the BSW received a large individual donation of EUR 4.09 million nationwide in March 2024

trend towards rising party donations

The number of major donations to parties has risen sharply since the end of the traffic light coalition on November 6, 2024. According to verkemnwatch.de , several wealthy donors have significant amounts to the CDU in this context done. On December 5, 2024, the German-American billionaire Stephen Orenstein and his wife Petra each donated 50,000 euros to the CDU. Orenstein has an estimated assets of $ 2 billion and was formerly a member of the Supervisory Board of Eintracht Frankfurt. Already in 2018 he supported the CDU with a donation of 50,000 euros.

also donate 170,000 euros to the CDU. These brothers founded the pharmaceutical company Hexal in the 1980s and invested in the foundation of Biontech in 2008. Harald Link, an entrepreneur from Thailand, also supported the FDP with a donation of 100,000 euros to promote projects in various social areas.