Klaus-Michael Kühne passed away in Schindellegi on the night of Monday. The longtime logistics entrepreneur was 89 years old. He transformed the family business Kühne+Nagel into one of the world's largest logistics conglomerates.
Kühne+Nagel's day-to-day operations should initially see little change following his death. Kühne was honorary president but was no longer the operational chief executive. CEO Stefan Paul and Board Chairman Jörg Wolle continue to lead the company. Customers, freight forwarders and shippers should therefore not expect a sudden change in direction.
What matters nonetheless is the ownership side. At the end of 2025, the Kühne Holding held 55.4 percent of Kühne+Nagel. A further 4.7 percent was already held by the Kühne Foundation. Kühne had repeatedly stated that his holding shares should later also go to the foundation.
This should rather stabilize the group in the long term. A rapid sale of the share package is not to be expected. However, not all questions are resolved: In future, a foundation board will decide over a vast corporate asset. How transparently this body operates and how strongly it intervenes in business decisions needs to be closely monitored.
For Schindellegi, there is also a financial aspect. Strictly speaking, Schindellegi is part of the municipality of Feusisberg. With Kühne's death, personal income and wealth taxes may disappear or decrease significantly. Due to tax confidentiality, the amount cannot be reliably quantified.
Corporate taxes from Kühne+Nagel and Kühne Holding, on the other hand, generally remain in place. The Kühne Foundation also continues to have its headquarters in Schindellegi. There is therefore no question of a financial collapse for the municipality. Feusisberg also closed its 2025 accounts with a surplus of around 14 million francs.
Nevertheless, this case illustrates a well-known risk: when a large portion of tax revenues depends on a few very wealthy individuals, a single death or relocation can be keenly felt.