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- After World War II, brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht found their mother's corner grocery store in Germany still standing - so they ran with it, transforming Aldi into an international supermarket chain.
- Throughout the decades, Aldi became one of the most profitable
retail chains, with over 5,000 stores across Europe and the US. In 1979, Theo bought Trader Joe's, the low-cost grocery store. - The Albrecht family is historically secretive, and there is a lot left unknown about the family's personal lives. What is known, however, is their net worth: $38.8 billion.
Theodor and Karl Albrecht took their mother's thrifty corner store, still standing in Essen, Germany after World War II, and turned it into a low-cost supermarket chain that today spans over a dozen countries across Europe and the US.
Aldi, short for Albrecht discount, has become such a stakeholder in Europe that other chains like it, including Walmart, have never been able to get a foothold. In 2017, CNBC estimated Aldi made over $13 billion in the US alone.
Little is known about the Albrechts. They don't speak to the press, or attend openings of their stores. According to a German newspaper, the family does not own vacation homes, private jets, or yachts, but instead have chosen to live in seclusion, keeping just a couple thousand euros in their bank account.
What is known, however, is their net worth: $38.8 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Here's how the Albrecht family got started and what we know about them: