Klaus J. Jacobs
| Klaus Johann Jacobs | |
|---|---|
Jacobs circa 2000
|
|
| Born |
December 3, 1936 Bremen, Germany |
| Died | September 11, 2008 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Billionaire |
Klaus Johann Jacobs (3 December 1936 – 11 September 2008) was a German-born billionaire with a Swiss citizenship.
He was born on 3 December 1936 in Bremen, Germany.
Jacobs attended the University of Hamburg and later Stanford University.
He started his career in the global coffee and chocolates industries.
In 1962, he became Director of Purchasing and Marketing for the Jacobs AG coffee business.
In 1972 he became General Manager of the company.
In 1982, the company merged with Interfood to create Jacobs Suchard AG, Europe's number one chocolate and coffee business.
In 1990, when the consumer-oriented elements of Jacobs Suchard were sold to Philip Morris, Jacobs created with the non-consumer businesses of Jacobs Suchard a company which is now known as Barry Callebaut. Barry Callebaut is today the world's largest raw chocolate producer.
In 1991, Jacobs became also involved with the human resource services industry with the acquisition of Adia Personnel Services where he led the company to a Global Fortune 500 Company following the merger with Ecco in 1996 to form Adecco.
The Jacobs Foundation was established by Klaus J. Jacobs in December, 1988, in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2001, the founder surrendered his entire share of the Jacobs Holding AG to the Jacobs Foundation, with an effective value of CHF 1.5 billion (31.12.08 CHF 2.3 billion). The Jacobs Foundation's goal is to contribute to Productive Youth Development by bringing together basic research, application and intervention projects and through dialogue and network building. The Jacobs Foundation supports research and projects worldwide. Klaus J. Jacobs donated EUR 200 million to the Jacobs University Bremen in 2006.
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