The family of Adolf Merckle says the German billionaire committed suicide after his business empire got into trouble because of the global financial crisis.
A brief family statement Tuesday did not give details on the circumstances of the 74-year-old’s death. It said the problems his holdings suffered due to the financial crisis ”broke” him and ”he ended his life.”

That’s a pity.
German Billionaire Adolf Merckle Commits Suicide [The New York Times]

Comments (33)

  1. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:04 AM

    What a pussy. Killing yourself because you are doomed to be a mere millionaire? Pathetic.

  2. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Looks like he killed himself via train. Ever the showman!

  3. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Agreed! Pretty damn stupid. Look at Trump…the guy has been bankrupt several times. He gets himself up, dusts himself off and makes another billion….all while banging one supermodel after the other…..
    Sheesh!

  4. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:15 AM

    Those Germans are so nihilistic.

  5. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    They’re nihilists Donny, nothing to be afraid of…

  6. Posted by Anal_yst | January 6, 2009 at 11:24 AM

    @ 3
    Not everyone is so vain/egotistical/deluded/whatever as Trump.

  7. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    @6
    you forgot
    alive/breathing/producing wonderful off-spring/crappy tv

  8. Posted by Seaman Bodine | January 6, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    yo asshole, this motherfucker is dead

  9. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    I guess money really was everything to these suicidal oldsters. Remember kids, money is not everything and if you plan to kill yourselves use a heroine/morphine combo like Dr. Dre’s kid.

  10. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:28 AM

    Trump has also not been personally bankrupt. One or more of his companies, yes, but not him personally. Which is why he doesn’t have to pick himself up very far or dust himself off all that much. As for his bondholders….

  11. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:29 AM

    It has to be true it’s in the NY times. Sheesh.

  12. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:33 AM

    FYI Trump is half German. Actually he’s half German, half Swedish and half Asshole.

  13. Posted by Clown Capital | January 6, 2009 at 11:33 AM

    My condolences go out to the man and his family, but I feel sorry for people who place so much of their own personal value in material wealth. People need to pick up a damn Zen book once in a while.

  14. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:33 AM

    FYI Trump is half German. Actually he’s half German, half Swedish and half Asshole.

  15. Posted by Anal_yst | January 6, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    @ 7
    Fair enough, you’d think if you made it through 75 years you’d have seen enough (and obviously have enough of a safety net) that the failure of a company or two would be nothing more than the point where you call it quits, relocate to some tropical island with your remaining $1bn, and enjoy your remaining years surrounded by friends and family.
    Apparently, though, this guy really took the failure of “his” companies to heart, sigh…

  16. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:54 AM

    Take note, Madoff – the German called Adolph manages to get it together, surely you can take one for the team?

  17. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:55 AM

    Does anyone give a rats ass we now have one less kraut billionaire in the world? Not moi!

  18. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 11:57 AM

    13 Interesting point, but you’re making it in the wrong place, considering that the whole compensation scheme on Wall Street is designed to exploit such instincts.

  19. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:07 PM

    What about the real victims here – all the people on the train that made it home late because some old dude decided to play speed bump?

  20. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:08 PM

    @4 & 5 very good!
    “My only hope is that the Big Lebowski has me killed before the Germans cut my dick off.”
    -BBF

  21. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:15 PM

    Rather than go and rot, if you want to cash out go devote your time to doing something that benefits the world. We could use some hard work in that area, particularly “sincere” hard work from a smart person as opposed the power hungry control freak political types.
    Funny, this guy killed himself due to loss of wealth that would still have left him with more than any of us can dream of. It’s all relative. Don’t take yourself so seriously. You’re gonna die anyway at some unknown date so live it up regardless of what you have.

  22. Posted by cy | January 6, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    21-
    You first paragraph seems to presume that one cannot do “something that benefits the world” and look to make a profit at the same time. This presumption ignores the actual history of humanity in which essentially everything that has benefited humans has been a product of someone trying to personally profit.
    I agree with your second paragraph.

  23. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:23 PM

    @19
    yes!

  24. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:34 PM

    @12 How the fuck is Trump 3 halves? Learn some fucking math.

  25. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:49 PM

    @24
    u = 1 humorless twit.

  26. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 12:52 PM

    24+douchebag=a shitload of douchebag

  27. Posted by NAS Keflavik boi | January 6, 2009 at 1:05 PM

    The friggin dude was probably named for the fuehrer by his rich nazi parents. Roast away, fuckball.

  28. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 1:26 PM

    Suicide is the new up 12% every year without a down quarter

  29. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 1:27 PM

    god damn it 24 how fucking dumb are you? jefferies backoffice?

  30. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    29 funny – yeah i was thinking the same thing. what would yogi berra say. trump is 90% asshole, the other half is german.

  31. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 3:46 PM

    Honor….something people won’t understand
    I guess you Yanks still having
    a Jew writing your paycheck?

  32. Posted by Suits | January 6, 2009 at 3:48 PM

    What do you need your johnson for, Dude?

  33. Posted by guest | January 6, 2009 at 4:09 PM

    @ 31
    Still smarting from the asskicking we handed you on your home turf back in ’45?

Leave a comment

You can log in with your account or comment as a guest below.