Christian Lindner: "My freedom includes being in love with doing things"
For more than half a year, the former Minister of Finance has been deputy head of Autoland. Handelsblatt has been following him. How is Christian Lindner doing in his new job?
On stage in Rottach-Egern, Christian Lindner intended to discuss his new job: March was mid-year, and since the beginning of the year, he has been Vice President of Autoland, one of the largest independent car dealerships in the Republic. However, at the "Entrepreneur's Day Tegernsee," a prestigious networking event, he was primarily asked about his past: the collapsed Alliance Party, the struggling FDP, and his tenure as Finance Minister.
Wearing a beige jacket, a white shirt, and black sneakers, Lindner tries to erase the past and instead focuses on the company he wants to digitalize and modernize: a business with 1,500 employees, over a billion euros in revenue, 38 branches, and a headquarters in Saxony-Anhalt. The move to Brehna from Berlin has been a significant transition.
The Vorstandsbüro (boardroom) has replaced the Finance Ministry. Lindner has become an entrepreneur rather than a politician. How did he achieve this shift? The Handelsblatt observed Lindner in recent months, visited his new headquarters in eastern Germany, and heard from former colleagues. The result is a portrait of a man who still values his public image and who is constantly drawn back to his past. He does not intend to return.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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