90-Year-Old Boss of Merkur Finally Retires!
After 67 years as the head of Merkur Group, 90-year-old company founder Paul Gauselmann has finally stepped down and handed the reigns to new Chairman Lars Felderhoff.
Gauselmann formed the Merkur Group in 1957 as a one man operation supplying coin-operated jukeboxes and games machines, and slowly built a company with annual revenues of more than £3.3 billion ($4.4 billion). First the company was perfectly positioned to take advantage of the explosion in amusement arcades in the 80s and 90s, and it was one of the first to embrace online gaming as well.
Now Merkur Group is part of the larger Gauselmann Group, and it is in rude health. It’s the perfect time, then, for the company founder to hand over to the new boss. At 90 years old, he has earned the right to put his feet up for a while.
Felderhoff has been the company CFO since 2018 and will now ascend to the head seat of the board and become the new Chairman on October 1st. He has been with the company since 2011 after joining as the Commercial Director of Merkur, and has slowly worked his way up the ranks.
Jurgen Stühmeyer and Manfred Stoffers will move up to become Vice Chairs and support Feldenhoff in the day-to-day operations of one of the world’s largest gaming companies.Merkur Group owns the Merkur Casino brand, which operates physical locations around Europe, and Merkur Interactive that focuses on the online gaming world. It also owns Blueprint Gaming in the UK, which makes Fishin’ Frenzy, Rick & Morty Megaways and Eye of Horus.
The wider Gauselmann Group also owns the XTiP and Cashpoint sports betting brands, and Praesepe, a UK-based chain of bingo halls and gaming centers.
Michael Gauselmann will try to fill his father’s mighty shoes as the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gauselmann Group, as well as taking charge of the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
