Merck family

The family still owns the majority of the pharmaceutical company Merck, making them one of the richest families in the world with an estimated wealth of more than 80 billion Dollars.

[1] The Merck family controls a majority of 70.3% of the company's shares.

[3] A branch of the family descended from Heinrich Johann Merck (1770–1853) belonged to Hamburg's ruling class of Hanseatic merchants.

His family founded the merchant bank H. J. Merck & Co. and several family members served as senators in Hamburg, while his son Carl Merck (1809–1880) was Syndicus (foreign affairs head) of Hamburg 1847–1880.

Another son, the merchant banker Ernst Merck, who had been the Austrian consul-general in Hamburg, was ennobled by the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I in 1860 and received the title of Baron.