Bertarelli, Wyss, Michel: Bern’s super-rich even richer

According to the business magazine “Bilanz”, 18 of the 300 richest people live in the Bern region. Their total assets amount to 51.6 billion francs. Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to an increase of around four percent.

The Bertarelli family has been at the top of the richest people in Bern for years. The “Balance Sheet” estimates her assets at 16 to 17 billion francs. The Bertarellis are ranked 8th in the top ten in Switzerland.

The sale of the biotech company Serono to the German pharmaceutical company Merck brought the Bertarelli family the equivalent of 16 billion francs in 2006. Ernesto Bertarelli has been internationally known since he won the America’s Cup sailing trophy twice.

The super rich honorary citizen

There was no change in the next rank either: Hansjörg Wyss, like last year, occupies second place with assets of 7 to 8 billion francs.

Although the 89-year-old Wyss has lived in the USA for years, The city of Bern made him an honorary citizen of Bern this year because of his donations. The Bern native made headlines when he and an investor bought the Chelsea FC football club for 3 billion francs in 2022. Wyss, who also wrote for the “Bund” during his studies, became rich by selling his orthopedics company Synthes.

Many live in Gstaad

With assets of 5 to 6 billion francs, jeweler Laurence Graff is the third richest Bernese. In 1960 he founded the famous jewelry store Graff Diamonds. Like so many billionaires, the 86-year-old Brit owns a chalet in Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland.

According to “Bilanz”, the Michel family is also in third place. Their assets have grown by over 2 billion francs to 5 to 6 billion francs within a year.

Self-made billionaire Willy Michel from Emmental made wealth with the medtech company Ypsomed. The Michels owe their latest increase in wealth to the price of the Ypsomed share, which has skyrocketed.

But there are also relegated teams: This includes Nick Hayek, head of the Biel-based watch company Swatch. Because business in China is weak, the stock market value fell. The Hayek family’s wealth fell by one billion and now amounts to 2.5 to 3 billion francs, according to the “Balance Sheet”.

740 million tax debt

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is also among those relegated. The “Balance Sheet” estimates the 94-year-old’s assets at “only” 1.5 to 2 billion francs – a billion less than last year. The reason is, among other things, a 740 million franc tax back payment in England.

In the canton of Bern, where Ecclestone owns a chalet in Gstaad, this is unlikely to happen to him: according to tax statements from 2012, he agreed with the Bern tax administration on an annual flat-rate tax of 500,000 francs.

Every second person is a billionaire

Across Switzerland, the total assets of the 300 richest amount to 833 billion francs. According to “Balance Sheet”, assets have never been higher since the ranking was introduced. More than one in two of the 300 richest people is a billionaire.

And even among the 300 richest, the wealth is distributed unevenly and is concentrated at the top: the ten richest on the list alone own a total of 218 billion francs.

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