ALDI's downfall: The messy family feud tearing the supermarket apart
There’s a bitter feud brewing within the famous ALDI clan, after the head of the empire hit back against her descendants over their lavish lifestyles in her will.
Cäcilie Albrecht, the widow of one of the co-founders of the supermarket chain, has slammed her late son’s wife, Babette, and the pair’s five children for their aimless expenditure saying that their lifestyles go against what the company believes in.
The will is the beginning of a public falling out, with the legal document ensuring that members of the family are restricted from making decisions within the business.
Mrs Albrecht, wife of co-founder Theo Albrecht, passed away in November last year at the age of 92, leaving behind five grandchildren.
Babette Albrecht attending a fashion show.
The same grandchildren are the heirs to Theo’s $15 billion wealth. But in a twisted turn of events, they and their mother have been accused of spending over $157 million to fund their lavish lifestyles.
“With this document I undertake to ensure the preservation of the philosophy of our family, which is to serve the consortium Aldi Nord and to foster this, at the same time as setting aside self-interests and practising a modest and abstemious way of life,” she said in the will, which was made public by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
Adding fuel to the fire, she went on to reveal that her late son Berthold also had his concerns over his wife and children’s living habits.
“Berthold himself said when he was alive that he had considerable doubts as to the suitability of his children to respect the life’s work of my husband who, with my support, built the consortium Aldi Nord, and to serve it with respect and with responsibility towards its thousands of employees,” she wrote.
The lawyer of Berthold’s offspring, Andreas Urban, released a statement saying that the family has denied any wrongdoing.
“The heirs of Berthold Albrecht have always been concerned since the death of their father, more than six years ago, for the welfare of Aldi Nord,” he said.
“This can be deduced in particular from the considerable financial means which have flowed into the company from the Jakobus foundation, as well as from the support for important corporate projects.
“The heirs of Berthold Albrecht therefore need to not reproach themselves in any way.”
The notoriously private family has now had their dirty laundry aired to the world thanks to the vicious battle.