Ex-Manager Thomas Middelhoff about happiness and success

Hamburg. A few years ago, only one thing counted for Thomas Middelhoff: business success. As Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann AG and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Karstadt parent company Arcandor, the 65-year-old belonged to Germany's business elite. However, with the bankruptcy of Arcandor, Middelhoff's life came apart at the seams. In November 2014, he was arrested for breach of trust and tax evasion... and sentenced to three years imprisonment. What followed, was private bankruptcy and separation from his wife after 45 years of marriage. Due to the conditions of detention, he now suffers from an incurable autoimmune disease. About his time prison, his experiences as an assistant in a workshop for disabled people, happiness, and his purpose in life, he now spoke with Yunel in a deep structured biographic interview.

The interview in German language was originally published in ZfB Werkheft 2019.