Wolfgang Leitner
#1166

Wolfgang Leitner

Austria 73 years old Self-Made

Overview

Source of Wealth
Engineering
Residence
Graz
Marital Status
Married
Children
2

Assets

  • Andritz
    32,760,000 shares @ -
    -
    ANDR-AT

Biography

Wolfgang Leitner heads listed Austrian plant and equipment manufacturer Andritz; he said in July 2021 that he would step down as CEO become chairman of the board.

A chemist by training, Leitner joined Andritz in 1987, became CEO in 1994 and took a 26% stake in the company in 1999.

He eventually turned Andritz into one of Austria's largest companies.

In 2018, Andritz completed the biggest acquisition in its history, buying North Carolina based Xerium Technologies for $833 million.

Leitner's initial wealth stems from the sale of Pharmavit, part of pharmaceutical outfit Genericon he founded, for $110 million in 1995.

About

Leitner comes from a modest background - his father also worked for Andritz, serving the company for three decades as a metal worker.

Most days, Leitner enjoys a simple lunch, consisting of a sandwich, an apple, a yogurt and the newspaper's business section.