The Aldi kidnap
The abduction of Theo Albrecht, co-founder of the discount supermarket chain ALDI. A man of great wealth, but so shy and retiring his kidnappers were unsure they had the right man.
The abduction of Theo Albrecht, who co-founded the discount supermarket chain ALDI with his brother Karl. The brothers shunned publicity and there were few photos of them. So, when two armed men confronted Theo outside his company headquarters in late 1971, they demanded to see ID. They needed to be sure they were taking the right man. Albrecht later tried to claim tax back on the ransom paid to secure his release. He died in 2010, worth an estimated 16 billion dollars.
Image: Theo Albrecht in 1971. Credit: EPA
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Thu 9 Dec 202108:50GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 9 Dec 202112:50GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 9 Dec 202118:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 9 Dec 202123:50GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 10 Dec 202103:50GMTBBC World Service
Podcast
![]()
Witness History
The story of our times, told by the people who were there

