Friedrich Flick

Born in Ernsdorf (today, Kreuztal) in the Prussian Province of Westphalia, Flick began his career as a clerk in the iron industry.

[1] After the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, Flick increased his financial support to them, and it is estimated that he contributed over 7.65 million RM by the fall of the regime in 1945.

Flick formally joined the Nazi Party on 1 May 1937, and in 1938 he was named a Military Economic Leader (Wehrwirtschaftsführer).

After the launching of the Second World War, Flick's companies employed an estimated 48,000 forced laborers in his coal mines, steel plants and munitions works.

Flick steadfastly refused to acknowledge any guilt whatsoever, stating: "nothing will convince us that we are war criminals.

[3] Despite his conviction, he quickly rebuilt his industrial empire and became one of West Germany's richest people by the 1950s, and the largest shareholder of Daimler-Benz and held large amounts of shares in Feldmühle, Dynamit Nobel, Buderus and Krauss-Maffei.