Horst Köhler Highest-Paid Economist in the World
- By Carol Kearney
- Berlin
- Last updated on
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- Breaking news February 18, 2025
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It's been a rough year for the economist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 81-year-old Horst Köhler has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid economists for 2025 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.
UPDATE 19/02/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Horst Köhler tops annual list of highest-paid economists
In 2022 it looked like the economist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (February 18) that Köhler is the highest-paid economist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between January 2024 and January 2025, a nearly $30 million lead over his closest competition.
People With Money’s factors
In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.
The German economist-politician has an estimated net worth of $185 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Köhler Burger” chain) in Berlin, a Football Team (the “Heidenstein Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderköhler - Germany), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Horst) and a fashion line called “Horst Köhler Seduction”.
The ranking is significant for many Horst fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.
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