1959
Born in Bremen, I grow up with my single mother in a mother-child institution in Hildesheim in simplest of circumstances. I am strictly educated by my stepfather.
1978
As district youth champion in middle and long distance running, I celebrate sporting successes in my youth. After finishing school I enlist in the German Armed Forces for two years.
1980
I begin my studies at the Hanover Medical School. To be able to finance it, I work part-time in the sales department of the asset management company OVB. I dedicate myself so intensively to financial consulting that I give up my medical studies.
1983
My career in financial consulting is very successful and I am promoted to country director. In the meantime, at my agency I now have 3,000 employees. BILD, a German Newspaper, describes me as “Europe´s most successful young entrepreneur”.
1987
Looking for new challenges, I quit OVB and invent independent financial advisory in Germany. For this purpose I found my own company “Allgemeiner Wirtschaftsdienst” (AWD). Within a few years, AWD expands into 10 countries with a client base of two million and 10,000 employees.
2000
I take AWD public in the summer and shortly thereafter, I float it on the MDAX. The company grows strongly and achieves record revenues.
2007
I am selling the company to the largest Swiss life insurer Swiss Life, which is renaming AWD as Swiss Life Select.
2010
Giving back is important to me. I sponsor numerous child support projects (e.g. “Heart for Children”), support the University of Hildesheim in the project “Neurological Learning” and am co-founder of the International Neurobionics Foundation. I am also an honorary senator of the Leibniz University in Hanover and a freelance lecturer at the International School of Management in Munich.
2011
With the foundation of the Maschmeyer Group a new chapter in my life begins. As an investor, I now passionately support founders of future-oriented companies.
2012
In my book “Selfmade” I describe the principles of success and thus end up in the German book bestseller lists. Next to being an author, I also advise large international corporations on strategic challenges.
2013
With the newly founded Paladin Asset Management InvAG, I now invest in companies that are undervalued on the stock market. The Paladin ONE mutual fund (securities identification number A1W1PH) has received several awards in recent years for its outstanding performance, including the Fund Award 2017 from the magazine €uro.
2014
Professional success is followed by my private happiness. In France I marry my great love, the actress Veronica Ferres. My wife brings a daughter to the marriage, I have two grown-up sons.
2015
I found another investment company, seed+speed. With this company we invest in early-stage companies from all industries. The experienced team of seed+speed supports founders especially in building up a sales force in the companies and provides valuable management know-how.
2016
For the first time, I am in front of the camera as a juror in the TV show “The lion’s den”. Founders present their ideas and products there in front of five investor lions and hope to get them on board. The audience ratings increase, the show is VOX's most successful in-house production. I am also publishing my second book this year: The “Millionaire Formula”. I want to help people achieve financial independence.
2017
The Maschmeyer Group becomes more international and invests in companies outside the Germany and Europe. I myself am often in Silicon Valley and am now very well networked in the American start-up and investor scene. In South Park - San Francisco we open our own office for the US investment fund Maschmeyer Group Ventures I MGV.
2018
In the fifth season of “The lion’s den” I am involved in two records: In “Finance Guru” and “Smartsleep” I invest 1 million and 1.5 million euros respectively - the two highest deals in the history of the show. In addition, my book “Selfmade” is being published in a completely revised edition.
2019
After only two years, our investment “studydrive” is acquired by Stepstone. Also my stake in one of Berlin’s Fintechs “barzahlen” is sold. At the same time our startup portfolio is growing rapidly - especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, Fintech, Blockchain, Cyber Security. The number of start-up investments made in the USA also continues to grow, and our portfolio company “Modern Health” is awarded first place among the “50 hottest tech companies globally”.
2020
I return to the insurance industry at the beginning of the year. But fully digital! I invest in Neodigital AG, the first completely digital insurance company. For the first time there is a spring and an autumn season for the TV show “The Lion's Den”.