How Much is Gerhard Schröder Worth? Gerhard Schröder in Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets
Updated: May 05, 2026
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How Much is Gerhard Schröder Worth? Gerhard Schröder Net Worth in 2026 - Profile Status:
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As one of the most talked-about figures, Gerhard Schröder has built a significant fortune. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.
What is Gerhard Schröder's Net Worth and Salary?
Gerhard Schröder was born on April 7, 1944 in Blomberg, Nazi Germany to Erika, an agricultural laborer, and Fritz, a lance corporal in the Wehrmacht who was killed in action during World War II, almost six months after the birth of his son. After the end of the war, the area where the family lived became part of West Germany. As an adolescent, Schröder did a retail sales apprenticeship at a hardware shop in Lemgo for a few years. Following that, he worked in a retail shop in Lage, and then took jobs as a construction worker and sales clerk in Göttingen. After passing the Abitur exam, Schröder attended the University of Göttingen from 1966 to 1971 as a law student.
Following the 1998 national elections, Schröder became Chancellor of Germany. The next year, after Oskar Lafontaine resigned as the leader of the SDP, Schröder took over his office, too. Schröder won a second term as Chancellor in 2002. Two years later, he resigned as chairman of the SPD amid growing in-party criticism of his reform agenda. In the 2005 federal elections, neither Schröder's coalition norAngela Merkel'scoalition achieved a majority in parliament, but Merkel's had a slightly stronger popular electoral lead. Schröder, Merkel, and SPD chairman Franz Müntefering subsequently decided to form a grand coalition, with Merkel taking over as Chancellor. Schröder went on to resign his Bundestag seat in late November, 2005.
Gerhard Schröder is a German lobbyist and former lawyer and politician who has a net worth of $20 million. Gerhard Schröder served as the Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. Additionally, from 1999 to 2004, he led the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Schröder has been widely criticized for his ongoing alliance withVladimir Putin'sgovernment and his continued work with Russian state-owned companies such as Nord Stream AG, Gazprom and Rosneft. Gerhard actually served as the chairman of the board of supervisors of the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft. Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gerhard was earning $1 million per year for his various work with Russian companies.
Schröder got his start in politics when he joined Germany's Social Democratic Party in 1963. Fifteen years later, he became the federal chairman of the Young Socialists, the SPD's youth organization. In 1980, Schröder was elected to the German Bundestag; he also became chairman of the SPD Hanover district. He went on to be elected to the parliament of Lower Saxony in 1986. After the SPD won the state elections in 1990, Schröder became Minister-President of Lower Saxony, as well as a member of the board of the federal SPD. In 1997 and 1998, he served as the president of the Bundesrat. During Schröder's time in office, Lower Saxony became among the most deficit-ridden states in Germany.
During his first term as Chancellor, Schröder partnered with UK Prime MinisterTony Blairto create an 18-page manifesto for economic reform. He also oversaw the relocation of Germany's seat of government from Bonn to Berlin, and led efforts to fund renewable energies and institute civil unions for same-sex couples. However, Germany's unemployment rate remained high as economic growth slowed significantly. Schröder was criticized for his tax policies and pro-car policies; he even served on the Volkswagen board during his time in office. He also came under fire for his praise of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Better received were Schröder's efforts to compensate Nazi-era slave laborers and his opposition to the Iraq War.
In 1976, Schröder passed his second law exam and began his legal career. He handled a number of controversial cases over the course of his 14-year career as a lawyer, notably the case of Horst Mahler, a founding member of the Baader-Meinhof terrorist group whom he helped secure an early release from prison.
In summary, the total wealth of Gerhard Schröder reflects strategic moves.
Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.