The Bruch family from Germany owns the retailer Globus Hypermarket Holding, which operates hypermarkets, DIY shops, and electronic stores in Germany, Luxembourg, Russia and the Czech Republic. Now in its fifth generation of family leadership, the Bruch family has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.
The family’s retailing roots began in 1828 when Franz Bruch opened a corner shop in Saarland, Germany. Franz’s son, Joseph Adam Bruch, took over the family business in 1865, and his son, Joseph Karl Bruch, headed the company from 1905 to 1949.
Dr Walter Bruch and Franz Josef Bruch transformed their family’s business into a modern consumer market in the 1950s and 1960s. Thomas Bruch, great-great-grandson of the founder, entered the business in 1978 and leads Globus today as a managing partner.
Thomas Bruch’s son, Matthias Bruch, serves as the managing director of the Globus branch in the Saarbrücken district of Güdingen. His two brothers operate independent startups and are not active in Globus.
Globus employs around 45,000 individuals and generates an annual revenue of $8 billion.