Friedrich Knapp

Friedrich Knapp presides over one of Europe's largest fashion companies, New Yorker GmbH, which has more than 1,000 stores in 40 countries.

The low-profile billionaire, with Tilmar Hansen and Michael Simson, started the retailer in 1971, with one store in the German town of Flensburg.

Today, the chain employs more than 18,000 people and has revenues of around $2 billion.

New Yorker is known for targeting a younger audience with fashion ranging from outerwear and knitwear to jeans and athletic apparel.

In 2019, Knapp challenged Amazon, claiming that a large proportion of textiles sold by the online giant did not comply with the German textile labeling act.