Early Life
Paul Gauselmann was born on August 26, 1934, in Borghorst, Germany. Growing up in post-war Germany, he learned the value of hard work and entrepreneurship from a young age, contributing to his family's income by collecting and selling scrap metal. After completing an apprenticeship as a telecommunications inspector, he started installing jukeboxes as a part-time venture in 1957. This marked the genesis of the Merkur Group.
Rise to Success
Gauselmann's entrepreneurial journey took off in 1964 when he founded the company that would become the Gauselmann Group. His knack for identifying opportunities and determination fueled the company's expansion. A pivotal moment came in 1974 with the opening of the first Casino Merkur-Spielothek in Delmenhorst. In 1976, the company introduced the Merkur B, a proprietary gaming machine. By 1984, the Gauselmann Group had become the market leader with a more than 50-percent market share.
Key Business Strategies
Gauselmann's success is attributed to his focus on innovation, quality, and employee appreciation. He invested in technology, secured over 200 patents, and expanded internationally. The Gauselmann Group, now operating as Merkur Group, has broadened its presence across Europe and diversified into online gaming, sports betting, and financial services. The renaming of Gauselmann AG to Merkur.com AG in 2024 underscored the strategic focus on digitalization.
Philanthropy
Paul Gauselmann is a dedicated philanthropist. For his 65th birthday in 1999, he established the Gauselmann Family Foundation, later renamed the Paul and Karin Gauselmann Foundation. The foundation supports education, science, youth and elderly welfare, sports, public health, preservation of historical monuments, and culture. The foundation has allocated nearly five million euros to some 2,500 beneficiaries over its 25-year history. Furthermore, Paul Gauselmann provided funding for the modernisation of the Rahden hospital, an extension to the stroke unit at Minden Clinic and for the construction of a campus building for training medical students. He also donated an operating theatre robot for the Lübbecke hospital valued at 1.4 million euros, as well as investing millions to restore the 500-year-old Schloss Benkhausen estate in Espelkamp.
