Alfred Gantner

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]

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

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

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

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