Markus Liebherr facts for kids

Markus Liebherr (born March 30, 1948 – died August 10, 2010) was a Swiss businessman. He was born in Germany. He was known for owning MALI International AG, a company he started in 1994. He also owned the English football club Southampton FC.

Early Life and Education

Markus Liebherr was one of five children. His father, Hans Liebherr, started a big company called Liebherr Group. This company is famous for making construction machines.

Markus studied mechanical engineering. This means he learned how to design and build machines. He was especially interested in special agricultural vehicles, like tractors.

Building a Business Empire

In the 1980s, Markus received shares in his family's company. Later, he decided to start his own group of companies. This was called the Mali Group. He ran it from 1994 until he passed away. He started his main company, MALI International AG, in Heinrichsburg, Germany.

The Mali Group focused on making special vehicles for tough jobs. They also developed advanced technology for these vehicles. For example, they worked on new types of engines and gearboxes.

What the MALI Group Did

The MALI Group created products for vehicles that work off-road. This means vehicles that don't just stay on paved roads. They developed important parts like:

• Engine systems
• Gearbox technology
• Vehicle design and building
• Control systems for machines

Their customers included forestry companies (who work in forests), municipalities (local governments), road maintenance services, and farmers. They also helped emergency management services with their special vehicles.

The Mali Group had several different companies. They all worked together under the MALI Markus Liebherr International group. Their main offices were in Fribourg, Switzerland.

• One company, CRT Common Rail Technologies AG, researched and designed engine systems.
• Another, Mali Motan AG, made and sold special gearboxes and engine systems.
• BSG Bodensee Steuergeräte, based in Germany, created electronic control units for engines and gearboxes.
• MALI Spezialfahrzeuge GmbH and MALI Spezialfahrzeugbau GmbH focused on designing and building unique off-road vehicles.

At a big farming machine fair called Agritechnica in 2009, Mali showed off a special vehicle. It was a "trac-140 system carrier" for city use. They also showed a powerful 400-horsepower tractor with Mali's special gearbox.

Owning Southampton Football Club

Markus Liebherr became the owner of Southampton F.C. on July 8, 2009. The club had been having financial problems. Markus bought the club to save it. The exact price he paid was not made public, but it was thought to be around £13–15 million.

In the first year under Markus's ownership, Southampton did very well. They had started with a penalty of ten points. Despite this, they almost made it into the play-offs. On March 28, 2010, Southampton won the Football League Trophy at Wembley Stadium. This was a big achievement for the club.

After Markus passed away in August 2010, his daughter, Katharina Liebherr, took over the club. Under her leadership, Southampton moved up to the Premier League. They stayed in the Premier League for 11 years before being relegated in 2023.

In 2017, Katharina Liebherr sold most of her share in the club. She sold 80% of it to a Chinese company for £210 million.

Death

Markus Liebherr died on August 10, 2010. He was 62 years old. He passed away from a heart attack.