World's youngest billionaire is from Bavaria

[Editor Bob 3,377]

 

Last week Forbes published their 2007 list of the world's billionaires. Same as last year, they give the youngest as Albert II, Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The 23 year old has a net worth of $2.0 billion. Being the only son of his late father, Johannes, he is sole heir to the family fortune.

 

The Thurn and Taxis family are well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles. The family home is a 500-room castle in Regensburg, Bavaria. Prince Albert himself is currently at Edinburgh University where he is studying economics and theology.

 

According to an article in Bild Zeitung (so it must be true) the prince is currently single. See: Ein Milliardär zum Verlieben. They don't mention the status of his sisters Elisabeth (24) and Maria (26) however.

 

They say money doesn't make you happy, but he looks pretty pleased with himself in every photo I've seen.

[Guest]

He's so cute he makes me happy. :wub:

[Small Town Boy 6,672]

I'm a little surprised about this, actually; apparently the family hit upon hard times a decade ago or so when one of them died, revealing very large debts. But I guess they had enough money stashed away; their dynasty goes back centuries. They did, however, sell their brewery - the Turn und Taxis Brauerei - to Paulaner of Munich in 1996. Paulaner was in turn bought up by Brau (Heineken) in 2003. According to the Good Beer Guide Germany, "It's widely assumed that Thurn und Taxis beers also originate here [Paulaner in Munich] but we think they may well be brewed elsewhere". But no longer in Regensburg.

[Katrina 4,522]

The money wasn't stashed away - Gloria von Thurn & Taxis turned out to be quite the financial manager instead, taking the time to learn business law and economics.

 

The family owns Europe's largest privately-owned forest and she chose to sell off the family silver and underperforming business interests as her son could "always go out and buy another tureen but not another forest."

Well-chosen real estate has also added to the family's wealth.

 

Following her punk princess days (complete with Warhol painting), she became quite the conservative with her investments, lifestyle and strong Catholicism.

And apart from the "Der Schwarze schnackselt gern" bit years back, she's been a smart cookie. And her son looks just so much like her too.

[UpQuark 9]

 

They say money doesn't make you happy...

Or as I like to say, money can't buy happiness but poverty can't buy anything.

[Oma Stelzbok 13]

I can only imagine the amount of 'ginas' tossed his way without him even trying. :unsure:

[Squirrel 1]

so the family fortune was cleverly salvaged by the shrewd investments of a woman but it all goes to the son and not the daughters...why doesn't that surprise me...

[Tom17 37]

Is that Ant or is it Dec? I always get those two muddled up.

[DrivinWest 73]

This thread should be retitled: "World's youngest billionaire is a douche"

 

What a douche.

[NOFXmike 18]

I just gotta mention that their family home is certainly not a castle. It is quite the impressive palace, though.

[parnell 68]

 

What a douche.

Cos he looks like Justin Timberlake?

 

If so I applaud your reasoning.

[MonksTown 104]

Worth a shag whilst you're waiting for the night bus I 'spose.

Wonder if he's gonna turn out a racist conservative like his bloody mother?

[parnell 68]

Cos she's successful and not a bleedin' waster?

 

If so at least your reasoning is consistent.

[MonksTown 104]

Let them share the same fate as the Romanovs. B)

[Kay 4,137]

Followed by a revolution? :unsure:

[MonksTown 104]

Nah, other way round. The Bolshevik offed the Romanovs becasue they were becoming a pole for counter-revolution after the Russian Revolution happened.

 

I 'spose when the glorious day comes, leaches like the Turn und Taxis will get a flat in one of the dreary run down public housing schemes in Regensburg while their palaces are put to use for wider benefit of society. But if they did become a focus for counter-revolution, then maybe it would be one aristo, one bullet.

But that would be for the local soviet to democraticly decide.

[Johnny English 3,071]

 

the prince is currently single

Looks like a wooftah to me.

[MonksTown 104]

Surely no self-respecting heema would make the fashion mistake he did in that picture above? C'mon, the shirt is like, so totally wrong! :rolleyes:

[Yeti 276]

Not even a local politician in Ireland could manage to put that shirt/tie combination together.

[Lavender Rain 7,859]

I totally agree about that stripe shirt and polka dot tie...should use some of those Eurobacks to get a professional sylist. Image is everything...even when you're rich, but not so famous. <_<