For years, there have been lingering questions surrounding the mysterious vanishing of the billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub. The former director of the retail powerhouse Tengelmann disappeared in April 2018 and was officially declared deceased three years later.
Recently, the state prosecutor’s office in Cologne initiated an investigation into Christian Haub, Karl-Erivan’s brother. This probe aims to determine if Christian Haub provided false information in a sworn statement in May 2021 by denying any knowledge suggesting his missing brother might still be alive.
The prosecutor’s office clarified that there is currently insufficient evidence to challenge Haub’s death declaration, as there is no definitive proof of his survival. Christian Haub, who assumed leadership of the Tengelmann Group following his brother’s disappearance, refutes the allegations of falsehood.
Christian Haub’s attorney, Mark Binz, firmly denied the accusations, stating, “There is absolutely no truth to the claims.” He highlighted that until recently, the Cologne public prosecutor’s office shared this view and declined to launch an inquiry.
Karl-Erivan Haub, previously among the wealthiest individuals in [Unrecognized], embarked on a solo skiing expedition on April 7, 2018. The 58-year-old, preparing for a ski mountaineering competition, never returned. Despite an extensive six-day search in the Alps involving helicopters and rescue teams scouring crevasses, no trace of him was found.
Over the years, reports surfaced in the German media suggesting that Haub, a married man with two adult children, might have been leading a clandestine life in [Unrecognized] with a younger Russian companion.
The investigation into Christian Haub was prompted by a criminal complaint filed by a group of journalists collaborating with RTL last year. Liv von Boetticher, an investigative journalist involved in the RTL team’s three-year inquiry into Karl-Erivan Haub’s disappearance, disclosed to Germany’s [Unrecognized] magazine that there is compelling evidence indicating potential intentional involvement in his disappearance. She suggested that parts of his family might have been aware of this and chose to keep it concealed.
Boetticher mentioned uncovering photos allegedly depicting Haub in Moscow in 2021. These images were reportedly obtained by an Israeli-American company hired by Christian Haub and two internal investigators. Boetticher claimed that Christian Haub had access to these photos when he testified under oath in May 2021 that he lacked concrete evidence of his brother’s survival.
Furthermore, Boetticher alluded to connections with [Unrecognized] emerging post-Haub’s disappearance. She mentioned a purported lover of Haub who had frequent communication with him before he went missing and allegedly had ties to the Russian domestic intelligence service.
Regarding Haub’s potential motives for heading to Russia, Boetticher speculated that his business dealings in the country might have played a role. She suggested that complications arising from these connections could have led to Haub seeking refuge in Russia.