His uncle was First Mayor and President of the Senate (head of state) Hermann Gossler.
After apprenticeships in England, France, North and South America, he became an associé of his father's bank in 1864.
His sister Susanne (married name Amsinck), exclaimed "Aber John, unser guter Name!"
)[1] Johann von Berenberg-Gossler was less inclined to take risks than his father, and closed the bank's branches in New York City and Boston in 1880 and 1891 respectively.
His son John von Berenberg-Gossler became a politician despite his father's wish that he would succeed him as head of the bank, and therefore had to give up his shares in the company.