Martin Winterkorn

"Winterkorn" redirects here. For the musician, see Tobias Winterkorn.

Martin Winterkorn
Martin Winterkorn in 2015
Born (1947-05-24) 24 May 1947 (age 77)
Leonberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
NationalityGerman
Alma materUniversity of Stuttgart (MS)
Max-Planck-Institute (PhD)
OccupationFormer Chairman of the Vorstand Volkswagen AG
Known forChairman of the Vorstand for Volkswagen, Volkswagen emissions scandal

Martin Winterkorn (born 24 May 1947) is a German former business executive who served as chairman of the board of management (CEO, Vorstandsvorsitzender in German) of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of the Volkswagen Group, as well as chairman of the supervisory board of Audi, and chairman of the board of management of Porsche Automobil Holding SE.[1] He succeeded Bernd Pischetsrieder as CEO of Volkswagen AG in 2007. Prior to that, he had been chairman of the board of management at the Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi AG.[2]

Winterkorn resigned from Volkswagen on 23 September 2015 after the Volkswagen emissions scandal came to light.[3][4] He resigned as chairman of Audi on 11 November 2015, following the disclosure of further information regarding VW's gasoline-powered engines in connection to the scandal. Winterkorn also served on the board of supervisors for German football club Bayern München from 22 February 2003 until 18 December 2018. He is credited with fostering a successful partnership between Audi and Bayern.[5]

Winterkorn was criminally indicted in the United States on 3 May 2018 on charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the emissions cheating scandal.[6] In April 2019, he was also criminally indicted on charges of fraud in Germany.[7] He remains a fugitive in the United States and is wanted by the Environmental Protection Agency on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, and multiple counts of wire fraud.[8] In February 2024, Winterkorn appeared in a German court to testify, where he denied any wrongdoing. His criminal trial in Germany is expected to begin later in the year.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martin Winterkorn". www.volkswagenag.com. Volkswagen AG. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  2. ^ Bernd Pischetsrieder. "Bernd Pischetsrieder: Executive Profile & Biography - Businessweek". Investing.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  3. ^ Moore, Thad (23 September 2015). "Volkswagen CEO quits amid emissions cheating scandal". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  4. ^ Woodyard, Chris (23 September 2015). "VW CEO resigns in cheating scandal". The Detroit Free Press. p. 1B.
  5. ^ "Martin Winterkorn leaves FC Bayern Munich AG supervisory board". fcbayern.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Ex-Volkswagen C.E.O. Charged With Fraud Over Diesel Emissions". The New York Times. 3 May 2018.
  7. ^ "German prosecutors charge former Volkswagen boss with fraud". The Independent. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  8. ^ US EPA, OECA (3 May 2013). "EPA Fugitives". US EPA. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Ex-VW CEO Winterkorn to Testify Over Role in Diesel Scandal". Bloomberg.com. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  10. ^ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/former-vw-chief-tells-court-he-didnt-deceive-investors-over-dieselgate-2024-02-14/