Die Klatten-Erpressung

July 11, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the summer of 2007, Susanne Klatten, then the richest woman in Germany, checked into the Lanserhof, a luxury health resort near Innsbruck. Ten days into her stay, a tall, dark-haired man approached her. He introduced himself as Helg Sarbi, a Swiss former officer working in mergers and acquisitions. They discovered an uncanny number of shared interests: the same books, the same fascination with renewable energy, even the same travel destinations. It felt like a chance meeting of soulmates. What Klatten did not yet know was that Sarbi was telling the same tragic story—about a recent divorce—to several wealthy women simultaneously that summer. This was the beginning of a case that would become Europe’s scandal of the year, involving secret sex tapes, 7 million euros in cash, and a trail that led to a remote Italian compound run by a man who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus.

The richest woman you had never heard of

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What you'll learn

1 (02:05) **A Film-Ready Scandal: The Premise** - Jakob introduces the story of Susanne Klatten’s extortion, calling it so absurd it was adapted into two films.
2 (04:14) **Who Is Susanne Klatten?** - The hosts profile the reclusive heiress, the richest woman in Germany in 2007.
3 (10:29) **The Quandt Shadow: Nazi Past and Public Scrutiny** - A 2007 NDR documentary exposes the family’s wartime history, just as Klatten’s personal crisis begins.
4 (13:39) **The Setup: A Chance Encounter in the Alps** - In July 2007, Klatten meets Helg Sgarbi at a luxury detox hotel in Austria.
5 (15:52) **First Ask: The Miami Accident Story** - Just three weeks in, Sgarbi claims he hit a child with a rental car in Miami and needs money.
6 (19:36) **The €7 Million Handover** - Klatten caves and agrees to lend Sgarbi €7 million in cash, no paperwork required.
7 (22:53) **The Trap Springs: From Affair to Extortion** - Sgarbi escalates, demanding Klatten leave her husband and invest in a “fund” worth €290 million.

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Show Notes

Susanne Klatten ist die reichste Frau Deutschlands, Quandt-Erbin, Hauptaktionärin bei BMW und eisern darauf bedacht, dass niemand mehr über sie weiß als unbedingt nötig. 2007, mitten in der Debatte um die NS-Vergangenheit ihrer Familie, beginnt sie eine Affäre mit einem Mann, der charmant, aufmerksam… und ein professioneller Erpresser ist. Wenige Monate später ist die medienscheue Geschäftsfrau das Gesprächsthema Nummer Eins: Es geht um Sex-Videos, Millionen in Bar und eine Sekte aus Süditalien.

Doku: “Das Schweigen der Quandts"
Doku: “Verführt und erpresst” (englisch)
Jens Oliver Haas: “Post von Wagner”

Edit & Mix: Timo Letzgus

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