Report: Aldi founders top list of richest Germans

The founders of the Aldi discount grocery store chain top Germany's Manager Magazin 2009 list of the country's most wealthy, released Tuesday.

The business magazine report said Aldi's Karl Albrecht, 89, is the richest person in the country with wealth estimated at euro17.35 billion ($26 billion). His brother Theo Albrecht, 87, is worth nearly euro17 billion.

The Manager Magazin report said the number of German individuals or families with at least one billion euros in capital fell to 99 from 122 in 2008.

Some of the biggest decliners were the Porsches and the Schaefflers. The Porsche family lost 71 percent of its wealth attempting to take over much larger rival Volkswagen AG, according to the report.

Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler of the car parts company of the same name, lost 92 percent of her wealth taking over rival car parts maker Continental AG, Manager Magazin said.

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