He was born in Preusslitz to Carl Adolf Riebeck, an industrial magnate.

He traveled with Adolf Bastian to the hills of Chittagong in 1882.

In 1884, he financed Gottlob Krause’s expedition to the Niger River, Benue River, and Lake Chad.

Riebeck amassed an extensive collection of artifacts from Eastern Asia, India, Arabia and Africa.

Also, a species of Socotran lizard, Haemodracon riebeckii, is named in his honor.