Adolf Merckle's Success Story

Founder of Ratiopharm

Many are the men in Europe, who have left a big clue in the world business. One of the most impressive success stories of our time comes from the world’s most powerful economic force – Germany. The story of Adolf Merckle could be described as contradictive, but it is undoubtedly an incredible example of man’s strength and the willing to achieve more and more. Becoming one of the richest men in the world, Adolf Merckle is exactly the right person who can give you the inspiration to realize your dreams and achieve your goals no matter what the cost.

His story begins in the early 1934, in the beautiful town of Dresden in Germany. Son of the famous industrialist Ludwig Merckle, Adolf was going to be one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Germany’s history. It seemed that the sense of making money has already running in his veins. As a grandson of a big pharmaceutical businessman and husband of his wife – Luise, which came also from a rich family, Adolf was the right person to transform the family business into a world-wide conglomerate.

He began his education in different places like Tübingen, Hamburg and Grenoble, studying law. Then he worked several years as a lawyer in Hamburg but it seemed that it wasn’t his vocation. Soon in 1967 he continued his father’s business which was only the beginning of his empire. As every successful businessman, Adolf decided to extend his activities in other spheres of the world’s business. As his ambitions grew, he started an expansion program founding in 1973 Ratiopharm - Europe’s first manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals. His idea of specialising in the production of wellknown medicines whose patents had expired was just simple and perfect. That was the best opportunity to offer high quality products for cheaper price. The success came along soon as he increased his revenues ten times more for only a year!

Over the following decades he built up a whole pharmaceutical empire with more than 100,000 employees worldwide and sales of about £31 billion. His ambitions did not end with the success of Ratiopharm. Soon, in 1994 he established Phoenix Pharmahandel, by merging different cities in Germany, which gave him the chance to gain more than 30 percent of the market.

His interests in making profit were not only in the pharmaceutical business, that’s why he had large stakes in the Heidelberg Cement firm, Hanson plc, the vehicle manufacturer Kässbohrer, and Castle Cement which is one of the leaders in the British market, possessing 20 percent of it.
Although he was one of the most successful entrepreneurs, the money was never his goal. Actually Adolf Merckle was considered to be a modest person, who cycled to work on a 15-year-old bike for most of the year. His main role on Germany’s business scene left his mark not only by creating one of the most powerful pharmaceutical companies the world has ever seen, but also showing that there are no limits for a man who has decided to achieve his goals.

Unfortunately the cruelty of man’s faith can always end up with a sad end. Despite the fact of being called one of the greatest business success stories in Germany, in 2009 the 74-year-old Adolf Merckle committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train near his hometown – Blauberen.

There will be always speculations on his death, but the important thing here is that no matter what happens, you should always keep going and never give up. Follow your dreams, achieve them.

NP