Klaus Zapf: German millionaire who shunned wealth dies

Klaus Zapf reportedly lived on less than 300 euros a month

Klaus Zapf, a German millionaire and removals entrepreneur who shunned the trappings of wealth, has died from a heart attack at the age of 62.

Mr Zapf was the founder and co-owner of Zapf Umzuge, one of the largest relocation companies in Europe.

He earned himself a legendary reputation for living well below his means, and was known for acts such as collecting returnable bottles at night.

Mr Zapf died on 20 August, his company announced on its website (in German).

Despite his vast wealth, he lived in a small flat and was paid just enough to cover his basic living costs, Germany’s Der Spiegel newspaper reports.

He once said that he collected empty bottles on which there is a deposit to be reclaimed and only shopped at supermarkets with the lowest prices.
Moving kingpin

According to reports, he lived on less than 300 euros ( £240) a month.

“I don’t need money. It just makes us unequal,” he was quoted as saying.

German press reports describe him as being “deeply immersed” in the left scene during his student years, and names Rudi Dutschke – a prominent leader of Germany’s socialist student movement in the late 1960s – as among his peers.

BBC