Hans-Dieter Vontobel is the central figure for the future of the Zurich private bank of the same name. He is one of the “big ones” in the pool of family shareholders and his voice has weight.
Now the “old man” is causing a stir behind the family scenes.
He recently left his large winery in the east of Bordeaux to his “godson”.
His name is Jan Schürmann, a name that most of the Vontobel heirs have never heard in their lives.
The fact that the childless Hans-Dieter Vontobel has a godson is also new to her, says a source.
This Schürmann received the “Domaine de Gensac” from Vontobel. It covers 300 hectares for Bordeaux wines, and there is also a horse breeding facility.
And of course a house, called a castle.
Wine dealer and Gensac partner Philipp Schwander made the news public on his homepage.
“(Vontobel) recently handed the estate over to his godson Jan Schürmann, who – committed to the same high quality standards – maintains a more modern, somewhat less tannin-emphasized style.”
According to the person I spoke to, it was a gift from Vontobel to Schürmann. “Schürmann is probably a confidante in the religious community,” says the source.
The 4th generation of the Vontobel family is not big. It only includes 7 offspring. Three come from the branch of Hans Vontobel, Hans-Dieter’s patron and father, who died almost 9 years ago.
The remaining 4 belong to Hans’ sister Ruth de la Cour-Vontobel, who died 10 years ago.
One representative from each strand sits on the board of Bank Vontobel. On the one hand, Maja Baumann, a lawyer who belongs to the “Hans Vontobel” clan, and on the other hand, Björn Wettergren, a start-up financier from the de la Cour side.
The remaining 5 main heirs have nothing to do with the bank. The only thing that counts for them is the annual general meeting, which decides on the amount of their dividend.
The bank refers to the annual report on the question of how long the family shareholders in the pool are bound to remain silent. It says there:
“The tied shares are subject to voting restrictions and the pool members are obliged to vote at the general meeting of Vontobel Holding AG in accordance with the previous resolutions of the shareholder pool.”
And then: “The shareholder pool can be terminated for the first time at the end of 2026.”
The story could come to an end in two years – even if Maja Baumann and Björn Wettergren say the opposite at every opportunity: that they “definitely” want to hold on to their majority.
At least when Hans-Dieter Vontobel wants to sell his bank shares after his winery in Bordeaux and the impressive farm that he owned in Hungary and which he had previously “given away”.
Hans-Dieter Vontobel holds 4.7 percent of the Vontobel parent company in his Pellegrinus Holding, which is a foundation. Vontobel could hold further percentage shares directly, says the person providing the information.
The fear that the son of the legendary Hans Vontobel, who failed as his successor as the bank’s chairman in 2002 due to a scandal, wants to sell his shares is dominating the debates among the other family shareholders.
Without Hans-Dieter Vontobel, the family pool will lose its majority. Because other family members have been flirting with selling the silverware for a long time, Vontobel would be history as a family bank.
Then it would come to a high point: Who will take over Vontobel? Julius Baer would probably be candidate number 1. Few people now believe that Vontobel can go it alone.
