Concern for 88 year olds
Billionaire Kühne appears to be seriously ill
Jan 9, 2026 – 9:01 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Klaus-Michael Kühne normally reported to Hamburger SV regularly. But in the end things became quiet around him. There are obviously reasons for this.
According to the “Hamburger Morgenpost”, billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne is said to be seriously ill. The 88-year-old has had a complex operation that is said to have restricted his mobility enormously and is causing him mental and physical distress.
In addition, Kühne is no longer able to travel, which is said to “extremely frustrate” him and also have a negative impact on his condition. Because he loved traveling and lots of exercise and activity. As the “Hamburger Morgenpost” has learned from people close to Kühne, his health situation can be classified as serious. The entrepreneur’s secretariat did not want to comment, only emphasizing that Kühne was not doing well.
The Bundesliga club’s second-largest shareholder has not been in the HSV stadium since November 2015. He followed the club’s games on his television at home.
Klaus-Michael Kühne is the most influential shareholder at HSV with 13.5 percent. Last year it was 21 percent, but Kühne sold 7.5 percent to Sparda Bank. He also holds the naming rights to Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion until the summer of 2029.
In the past, the lender has repeatedly supported HSV with loans worth millions or directly financed new signings. Nevertheless, he did not shy away from publicly criticizing those responsible for weak leadership and poor transfers. He has already threatened several times to withdraw from his involvement with HSV.
Forbes magazine estimates his fortune at 33.9 billion euros.