{
  "id": 16737233,
  "title": "Interview: Top Headhunter Heiner Thorborg: \"80 Percent of Top Management are Narcissists\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/interview-top-headhunter-heiner-thorborg-80-prozent-der-oberen-etagen",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-27T10:44:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/dienstleister/fuehrungskraefte-viele-unternehmen-werden-durch-schlechte-entscheider-gefaehrdet/100235531.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Heiner Thorborg, a prominent headhunter in the German economy for four decades, has written a book analyzing real cases and critiquing his own industry. In the book, \"Hinter den Kulissen der Mächtigen\", Thorborg claims that around 80 percent of top executives are narcissists who prioritize their own ego over the company's well-being. He cites examples such as Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto and Daimler's merger with Chrysler as failures resulting from poor leadership. Thorborg also discusses the problems with the headhunting industry, including conflicts of interest and the tendency for clients to delegate responsibility to large consulting firms.",
  "summary": "He is one of the most well-known German recruitment consultants, placing top executives in Dax corporations. Now he's talking about how the wrong bosses put companies at risk - and which power rules apply.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}