Alfred Gantner[1] also known as Fredy Gantner (born 1968) is a Swiss billionaire, businessman and political activist. He is the co-founder and majority owner of Partners Group, a global private equity firm, with $135 billion in assets under management.[2][3] Gantner owns about 5% of controlling interest and currently is on the board of directors.[4][5]

Alfred Gantner
Born
Alfred Gantner

1968 (age 55–56)
Baden, Aargau, Switzerland
Known forCo-founder, Partners Group
SpouseCornelia Gantner
Children5

He is currently also the chairman of PG3 AG,[6] the founders private multi-family office in Steinhausen, Switzerland.[6] He is a member of the National Advisory Council of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah since 2003.[7] As of February 2023, his net worth is estimated at $2.6 billion by Forbes.[8]

Education and profession

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Gantner completed a banking apprenticeship at the former UBS subsidiary Cantrade Privatbank.[9] He holds an MBA from the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management in Utah, United States.[10] After his studies in the U.S., he completed internships at Bankers Trust and at Goldman Sachs.[11][12]

In 1996, he founded Partners Group together with Marcel Erni and Urs Wietlisbach, whom he had previously met at Goldman Sachs.[13][14] Gantner was its CEO between 1996 and 2005, and its chairman of the board of directors between 2005 and 2014. In the meantime, he is a simple member of the board of directors[10] and still holds 5.01% of the shares of Partners Group Holding AG, according to the company.[15]

In December 2022, Gantner became chairman of Breitling SA.[16][17]

Political involvement

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In 2020, it became known that Gantner would become involved against the EU-Switzerland framework agreement.[18] Together with his co-founders at Partners Group, he built up a network of over a hundred entrepreneurs, which, under the name Kompass/Europa, is opposed to the signing of the agreement and in favor of maintaining the current cooperation.[19]

Gantner is non-partisan. After short-term plans to become politically active in the FDP in 2011, he now says he is closest to the CVP.[20]

Private life

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In 2002, Gantner became involved in public relations for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in Switzerland, together with Winterthur entrepreneur Mark Prohaska.[9]

Gantner is married to journalist Cornelia Gantner.[21] He has five children.[8]

He comes from a Protestant family, but converted at the age of 23 and has been a member of the Mormons ever since.[9] He also served as pastor and bishop of Richterswil for that church for six years.[22] His Compass Switzerland network also includes other members of the church, some of whom are leaders.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Alfred Gantner in Oberägeri from Flums". Moneyhouse. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. ^ "About Partners Group". www.partnersgroup.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  3. ^ Oguh, Chibuike (20 September 2021). "EXCLUSIVE Partners Group raises $15 bln for private equity investing". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Board of Directors". www.partnersgroup.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  5. ^ AG, DV Bern. "Partners Group Holding AG". Commercial register of canton Zug. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b AG, DV Bern. "PG3 AG". Commercial register of canton Zug. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ^ "National Advisory Council - Alfred Gantner Jr. - BYU Marriott School of Business". marriott.byu.edu. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Alfred Gantner". forbes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Ueli Kneubühler (15 November 2012). "Machtnetz von Alfred Gantner: Der Geldvermehrer". handelszeitung.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Verwaltungsrat". partnersgroup.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  11. ^ Holger Alich (18 September 2020). "Der Unternehmensgärtner". bazonline.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Alfred Gantner". rsc.byu.edu. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  13. ^ Anne-Sylvaine Chassany (25 March 2014). "Founders hand more independence to Partners Group". ft.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Partners Group Holding". forbes.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Partners Group's founding partners close their five-year derivative transaction, reducing their PGHN shareholding to 5.01% each; substantial proceeds have been invested alongside clients". partnersgroup.com. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  16. ^ Steve Gelsi (23 December 2022). "Partners Group to become largest shareholder of Breitling watches". msn.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  17. ^ Andrea Martel, Eflamm Mordrelle (23 December 2022). "Partners Group übernimmt die Mehrheit an der Uhrenmarke Breitling". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. nzz.ch. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  18. ^ Holger Alich (18 January 2021). "Der Überzeugungstäter". bernerzeitung.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  19. ^ Othmar von Matt (5 November 2021). "Neue Attacke gegen das Rahmenabkommen: Milliardenschwere Unternehmer nehmen den Kampf auf". zofingertagblatt.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  20. ^ Philipp Albrecht (18 January 2021). "Fredys Albtraum". Republik. republik.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  21. ^ Othmar von Matt (7 October 2020). "Mit Ikea-Möbeln und zwei Computern zu Milliarden: Drei Schweizer machten die Partners Group zum Weltkonzern". luzernerzeitung.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  22. ^ a b Haymo Empl (6 September 2019). "Die Mormonen haben einen neuen Bischof". luzernerzeitung.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2023.