I guess being worth $9.2 billion isn’t enough in this tough economy! Somehow I can’t bring myself too feel sorry for the guy when so many are truly hurting and worried about the necessities such as making the mortgage payment and keeping food on the table. At least his family won’t have to alter their lifestyle, something I”m sure they’re very grateful for.
(CNN) — German billionaire Adolf Merckle, one of the richest men in the world, committed suicide Monday after his business empire got into trouble in the wake of the international financial crisis, Merckle’s family said Tuesday in a statement.
Merckle, 74, was hit by a train in the southwestern town of Ulm, police said.
His family said the economic crisis had “broken” Merckle.
He was number 94 on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people. He had fallen from number 44 on the Forbes 2007 rich list as his fortune declined from $12.8 billion to $9.2 billion in 2008.
German billionaire kills self, family says – CNN.com
Wow, depression hits us all I guess.
I read about it, but didn’t know about being hit by a train. Talking about wanting punishment! I guess it is all a matter of relativity and perspective. I wouldn’t want a lot of money. I’d feel too guilty about all the people going without. Greed kills people even before they kill themselves, in my opinion. It murders the soul.
Brenda
If this is the same Merckle CNBC reporters were talking about yesterday, he might have had more cause than simply the economic losses he sustained. They have been asking just how involved he may have been with Madoff and how much about the Ponzi scheme he may have known before it imploded. They have been pretty scathing in their comments. None mentioned his suicide.
you got to feel sorry for the billionaire, it might not be about the money he lost, heaven knows he still had more than enough money left to keep up with his life style,( I wouldn’t mind trying to get by on a few billion my self LOL ) perhaps he was suffering from depression or allzhiemiers I know wrong spelling . it talkes a lot of guts to kill ones self……..I hope he prayed for forgivness as he was doing it. as the Bible says Thou shalt not kill. that is the end of that commandment and you will notice it does not say who….
Laoch – not sure this was depression though.
Brenda – I agree with you on greed, and when wealth is taken away, for some the only option they see is jumping out a window or stepping in front of a train. Sad.
Mary – there have been a few suicides since the unraveling of the stock market and economy. If he was involved with Madoff and his scheme maybe he felt it would be better dead than face the music.
Mary Anne – guess we’ll never know the “why” but greed certainly had a hand here and perhaps getting caught?
I read this yesterday… poor guy *shaking my head*.
I just call it Darwin at work weeding out the stupid.
Have a great day!
That’s a very sad news! Maybe he is disappointed and desperate with his business situation.
You never can tell in these situations and he certainly won’t be saying anything further about it. I have to think that partial loss of his billions was hardly a cause for taking himself out. As a business man of quite a few decades he should have seen this coming and had experienced ups and downs aplenty in his past. There has to be more reason then that. For all we know it could have had absolutely nothing to do with his financial loss rather that it’s just an assumed thing.
Just my two cents.
Dave – LOL that’s one way of looking at it
Chatterberries – apparently so, thanks for stopping in.
Kirk - I think it’s more likely he was involved in something such as Madoff and was about to get exposed.
Well, I can’t disagree with that but I was thinking out loud all over your comments section and you should know how dangerous it is when I start thinking.
It’ll be interesting to see how well the health insurance industry weathers this economic storm. Could we finally see health care reform? I mean, as one of the articles you linked to in your weekly health news round-up says, Americans are already economizing their food spending, and in turn eating less healthy (not that we were eating all that healthy to begin with). Will health insurance see a drop this year? We could be in for some very poor health this year with the economy doing so poorly, people eating worse, and no health care reform.
If people like Merckle are killing themselves like this, imagine what us regular folk are going to start feeling. Kind of scary…
Just my thoughts.
Liz Wagner