Blonde Power: Piech Puts Wife In Control

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech solidifies his and the Piech-Porsche clan’s control of Europe’s largest carmaker by placing his wife in positions of power. A year after taking a seat on Volkswagen’s supervisory board, Ursula Piech will be up for certain election to Audi’s supervisory panel at the annual shareholders’ meeting on May 16, Reuters reports.

Audi is owned by Volkswagen, but its shares are listed separately. According to Reuters, the election “to the board of VW’s biggest profit contributor will be nothing but a formality.”

Ursula Plasser, a trained kindergarten teacher, was hired by Piech as a nanny when he lived and produced two children with Marlene Porsche, the wife of his cousin Gerd Porsche. The children came in addition to five he had from a previous marriage and two “from another connection.” Ursula was buxom, blond and 25. Two years later, she was married to Ferdinand Piech, who was and is twenty years ahead of her.

Provided she does not remarry, Ursula Piech will take over her husband’s interest when he dies. Ferdinand Piech will turn 76 on April 17.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Yeah_right Yeah_right on Apr 09, 2013

    That woman looks like Jimmy Durante. If that's the trophy wife for a rich industrialist, I can't imagine how gruesome the first wife must have been.

  • Raph Raph on Apr 09, 2013

    In other news "The Truth About Cars" has been acquired with some spare change lying around in Piech's desk and added to the Volkswagen empire only to be summarily shut down due to what Chief Editor Ursula Plasser considered inappropriate comment and content.

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Apr 09, 2013

    Well, I think she'd be a fun person to have around. Can TTAC come back now?

  • Panzerfaust Panzerfaust on Apr 10, 2013

    Couldn't be any worse than Susan Docherty.

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