MAY 30 • 2024 | 25
J
N

W

hile the theft of 
Jewish property 
and goods during 
the Holocaust is arguably well-
known, the powerful forces 
behind those thefts remain hid-
den in plain sight.
That is, until Dutch author 
and former Bloomberg reporter 
David de Jong got involved.
De Jong, who investigated 
how German tycoons made bil-
lions off of the atrocities of the 
Holocaust, covered the ground-
breaking story in his 2022 book, 
Nazi Billionaires.
On June 2, de Jong and asso-
ciate professor of marketing at 
Oakland University Dr. Steven 
Stanton will be discussing the 
role of corporate complicity 
in World War II at Zekelman 
Holocaust Center.
The question-and-answer-
style fireside chat will discuss 
Germany’s leading dynasties 
and families, their role in seizing 
Jewish businesses and how that 
dark history is being dealt with 
today. Following the interview, 
guests will have a chance to ask 
questions.

THE FIVE DYNASTIES
At the forefront of Nazi 
Billionaires and the upcoming 
June 2 event are today’s lead-
ing auto and finance brands: 
Daimler-Benz, Allianz, Porsche, 
Volkswagen and BMW
.
The German families that con-
trolled these dynasties not only 
seized Jewish businesses during 
the war, but also procured hun-

dreds of thousands of slave labor-
ers to work in their factories and 
mines, and supplied Hitler’s army 
with weapons to destroy Europe.
“The car industry is really the 
backbone of the German econo-
my today,
” de Jong says. 
Yet today’s booming German 
auto phenomenon took hold in 
devastating ways.
De Jong explains that during 
Aryanization, a process in Nazi 
Germany in which Jewish-owned 
businesses and property were 
transferred to non-Jews, Jewish 

families were coerced to sign over 
anything of value — including 
real estate, jewelry and family 
businesses — to Nazi authorities 
or non-Jewish competitors at far 
below market value.
As persecution of Jews ramped 
up in the second half of the 
1930s, Aryanization morphed 
into outright theft and robbery 
without compensation, de Jong 
continues.
The families and businesses 
who profited the most, he says, 
are the ones whose cars many 

of us drive today and the five 
dynasties de Jong covers in Nazi 
Billionaires.
However, after the fall of the 
Third Reich, these dynasties kept 
the stolen Jewish money. In fact, 
those funds played a vital role in 
the global success they’re known 
for today.
“
After World War II ended and 
with the money they were able 
to keep, they were able to buy 
up all of the biggest contracts in 
Germany, which is pretty shock-
ing,
” de Jong says. “Now, these are 
very well-known global brands 
that many people drive or con-
sume otherwise.
”

DISTORTING HISTORY
Today, these dynasties cele-
brate their success with major 
charitable foundations, media 
enterprises, and even museums 
named after their fathers and 
grandfathers.
Yet, left out in the story of 
these brands’ rise to fame, is their 
war crimes and affiliations.
“The reckoning never came for 
them,
” de Jong says of the lack of 
accountability.
Compelled by the story and 
what he calls a “brazen distortion 
of history,
” de Jong knew he had 
to dig into the events and bring 
to light the hidden atrocities of 
Nazi billionaires.
De Jong spent four years 
researching the subject in 
Germany and how the dark his-
tory of its biggest tycoons contin-
ues to hide in the shadows today.
Now, de Jong will visit 
Zekelman Holocaust Center for 
the very first time to discuss his 
findings and what can be done 
to encourage war crime account-
ability once and for all. 

Admission to “Nazi Billionaires,” a book 

talk with author David de Jong is $10, or 

free with Zekelman Holocaust Center 

membership. The event is 2:30-4:30 p.m. 

Sunday, June 2. Register at : 

29862.blackbaudhosting.com/29862/ 

Nazi-Billionaires.

Join author David de Jong for a fireside 
chat at Zekelman Holocaust Center.

Nazi 
Billionaires: 
Atrocities 
Uncovered

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

David de Jong

