BASF heiress Marlene Engelhorn wants randomly selected people to decide who gets her money. It is an experiment that has never been done before.
Viennese Marlene Engelhorn, 31, is a descendant of BASF founder Friedrich Engelhorn. She therefore inherited a considerable fortune from her grandmother Traudl. But Engelhorn, who is also involved in the “Tax me now” initiative, doesn’t want the inheritance. She is determined to pass on 90 percent of it – around 25 million euros – to the general public. Inherited assets of this magnitude would cement feudal power structures, which would endanger democracy, she says. The controversial Austrian has now found a way for herself that, according to her, is unique in the world and is causing a stir.