The richest foundations in Switzerland - a current overview

140 billion francs for charitable purposes

According to the Swiss Foundation Report 2023, the cumulative assets of charitable foundations in Switzerland amount to over CHF 140 billion. This makes Switzerland one of the leading countries in the field of philanthropy.

The number of active foundations also remains high. At the end of 2024, a total of 13,722 charitable foundations were entered in the commercial register. The dynamics within this foundation landscape are particularly interesting:

• 298 new foundations were established, while 268 were deleted.
• The highest number of new foundations was in the canton of Zurich with 44 new foundations, followed by Geneva (43) and Zug (42).

With 15.4 foundations per 10,000 inhabitants, Switzerland remains one of the world's leading nations in the area of charitable foundations. This high density of foundations shows how strongly philanthropic commitment is anchored in Switzerland.

Where do these assets come from?

The immense assets of Swiss foundations come from various sources. As a rule, it comes from company investments, real estate, capital investments or donations.

Corporate investments

Some of the largest Swiss foundations manage their assets through strategic corporate investments or even hold entire companies. For example, the Jacobs Foundation - until its recent restructuring - held shares in companies such as Barry Callebaut, while the Ernst Göhner Foundation holds shares in Danish logistics giant DSV. These shareholdings not only provide the foundations with regular income, but also a sustainable financial basis for their funding activities.

Other foundations also hold entire companies or large majorities. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, for example, is the owner of Rolex SA. The Victorinox Foundation holds 90% of Victorinox AG. IKEA is also controlled by foundations based in Liechtenstein. The Inter IKEA Foundation focuses on the management of the IKEA companies and on ensuring the independence and longevity of the IKEA concept. The Interogo Foundation, on the other hand, concentrates on managing the investment business and securing the necessary financial reserves. According to the website, both are also involved in philanthropic activities and are among the largest corporate foundations in German-speaking countries.

Real estate ownership

Another key instrument for asset management is real estate. Numerous foundations make targeted investments in residential, commercial or special real estate in order to generate long-term returns. The Ernst Göhner Foundation, for example, manages (as at the end of 2024) 35 quality properties, with almost 1,300 apartments and 9 commercial properties, which are bundled in its subsidiary Seewarte Holding AG. These investments provide stability and enable continuous financial support for various charitable projects.

Investments and donations

In addition to corporate investments and real estate holdings, many charitable foundations rely on a diversified financial strategy. According to the SwissFoundations Benchmark Report, large foundations often invest in shares, bonds and alternative investments in order to make the best possible use of their financial resources.

In addition, many charitable organizations receive substantial donation income from companies, private individuals or government institutions.

The wealthiest foundations in Switzerland

Below we take a closer look at three of the wealthiest foundations in Switzerland:

1. The Jacobs Foundation

The Jacobs Foundation is one of the wealthiest grant-making foundations in Switzerland and is dedicated in particular to promoting education worldwide. According to the information on its website, the foundation managed total assets with a market value of CHF 6.1 billion as at 31.12.2023.

On 18.06.2025, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes that the Jacobs family is reorganizing its shareholdings: "Members of the Jacobs family have bought the aforementioned holdings from the foundation, in particular those of Barry Callebaut. The money that the Foundation received in return can now be invested by the organization in a way that is optimal for it."

The Jacobs Foundation not only uses its assets for economic investments, but is also strongly committed to supporting educational projects. Since its inception, over 840 million Swiss francs have been made available for educational initiatives. Through strategic partnerships, the Foundation works to sustainably improve the learning and development of children and young people worldwide.

2 Ernst Göhner Foundation

The Ernst Göhner Foundation is one of the financially strongest foundations in Switzerland. Its estimated assets amount to several billion Swiss francs. A significant proportion of its investments are in company holdings, which are managed by its subsidiary EGS Beteiligungen AG.

The foundation holds investments in various predominantly medium-sized Swiss companies, both listed and private, from different sectors, including (as at June 2025)

• Huber+Suhner AG - specialist for high-frequency, fiber optic and low-frequency technology
• Sensirion Holding AG - manufacturer of sensor solutions for environmental and flow technologies
• Siegfried Holding AG - producer of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry
• Comet Holding AG - manufacturer of high-tech components for the semiconductor industry
• Interroll Holding AG - provider of solutions for material flow and automation
• Bauwerk Group AG - manufacturer of high-quality parquet flooring
• Roth Gerüste AG - provider of scaffolding solutions
• Beekeeper Holding, Inc. - SaaS platform for frontline employees
• Futurae Technologies AG - Provider of solutions for multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA)
• Bcomp AG - developer of high-tech materials made from natural fibers
• SERTO Group AG - Manufacturer of industrial screw connections
• ARGUS DATA INSIGHTS Holding AG - Media monitoring and analysis company
• Seaking (International) AG - Manufacturer of galley systems for cruise ships
• SpineArt SA - developer of spinal implants

The Ernst Göhner Foundation operates independently with its investments and is not tax-exempt - although it could apply for this for its charitable activities. This economic independence enables it to make strategic investments that ensure long-term stability and at the same time sustainably finance its charitable projects.

3 Sandoz Foundation - Fondation de Famille

The Sandoz - Fondation de Famille is also one of the financially strongest foundations in Switzerland. According to the Handelszeitung, it held 4.1% of Novartis' share capital at the end of 2024 via its associated company Emasan AG and sold 1.2% of this in February 2025.

Although the foundation is not a charitable foundation but a family foundation, it is involved in numerous areas of society. Its funding focus is on:

• Innovation and science
• Promotion of culture
• Supporting companies with a long-term focus

In addition to its stake in Novartis, the foundation owns several luxury hotels and well-known companies in the watchmaking and medical technology sectors. Its activities also include various initiatives to promote research projects and cultural programs.

A detailed overview of the various Sandoz foundations can be found here.

Examples of other wealthy foundations

Dr. Stephan à Porta Foundation

The Dr. Stephan à Porta Foundation was established by Stephan à Porta, who was born in Danzig on April 24, 1868. His parents, confectioners from the Lower Engadine, achieved a certain degree of prosperity abroad. Stephan à Porta became a lawyer and opened his own law firm in Zurich at a young age.

Spurred on by the building boom, he and his brother bought a building plot in Zurich-Aussersihl in 1892 and had three houses built on it, which he sold at a profit. Until the Second World War, Stephan à Porta built several hundred houses in Zurich. After the outbreak of the war, he decided to transfer most of his private assets - 144 houses with around 1,300 apartments - to a foundation. According to its website, the foundation "currently owns around 152 properties with around 1,370 well-maintained, affordable apartments as well as a few offices, stores and commercial premises in the city of Zurich (districts 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10)." It also states on the website: "Since January 1, 1946, a wide variety of projects have been supported by charitable, non-profit institutions with more than 55 million francs. On average, the annual distribution amounts to over CHF 714,000, with CHF 1.6 million being distributed each year since 2024."

The insured value of the properties amounted to over 450 million francs in 2021. You can find out more about the Dr. Stephan à Porta Foundation in the interview from 2021 with the Managing Director, Armin Isler.

Ethereum Foundation

The Ethereum Foundation has now established itself as one of the financially strongest foundations. It manages assets of USD 970.2 million, mainly in the form of Ethereum assets (as at 2024 - see Ethereum Foundation Financial Report ).

The foundation has further expanded its lending activities and supports numerous projects in the field of blockchain technology and digital innovation.

Jakob and Emma Windler Foundation

The Jakob and Emma Windler Foundation holds assets consisting primarily of Novartis shares. These alone are worth over CHF 650 million. As at 31.12.2024, the total assets amounted to over CHF 1.3 billion.

The foundation documents in detail on its website how its assets were created. It supports individuals, cultural institutions, small businesses and charitable organizations, with funding limited to the canton of Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhein.

One of the foundation's particular problems is that, according to the 2024 annual report, it generates significantly more ordinary income than funding. The Foundation Board is aiming for a balanced ratio. In 2024, around CHF 25.8 million was awarded, with current income from financial assets and real estate amounting to CHF 44.5 million.

Kühne Foundation

The Kuehne Foundation currently holds 4.7% of Kuehne + Nagel International, which corresponds to a share capital of around CHF 1.3 billion.

The foundation realized a funding volume of CHF 40 million in 2024. It works primarily as an operational foundation and implements its own projects in the fields of logistics and medicine.

Leopold Bachmann Foundation

The Leopold Bachmann Foundation has a broad real estate portfolio with at least 1,800 apartments. The market value of these assets is likely to be close to the CHF 1 billion mark.

Leopold Bachmann was born in Tyrol in 1933 and transferred some of his properties to the foundation in 1997. The net income from the properties finances the foundation's promotional activities.

Metrohm Foundation

The Metrohm Foundation holds the Metrohm Group, whose company value is difficult to quantify but amounts to at least several hundred million Swiss francs.

You can find out more about the foundation and Bertold Suhner here.

Ursula Ströher Foundation

The Ursula Ströher Foundation is one of the most important foundations in the Basel area. The foundation holds various properties in Basel through the family office Univest.

Since the sale of the majority stake in Wella to Procter & Gamble for 6.6 billion euros in 2003, the Ströher family has had large amounts of capital at its disposal, which has been invested in real estate, among other things(source).

Examples of important foundations with a regional impact

August Weidmann Welfare Foundation

The August Weidmann Welfare Foundation, based in Thalwil, was founded in 1930 with a starting capital of 6.6 million Swiss francs. During its existence, it has distributed over 25 million francs and supports charitable institutions and people in need in the canton of Zurich.

Paul Josef Jenni Foundation

The Paul Josef Jenni Foundation supports workers and craftsmen in Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft. It has 25 properties at its disposal, the income from which enables it to grant around CHF 1 million a year.

Georg H. Endress Foundation

The Georg H. Endress Foundation holds a 4% stake in Endress+Hauser, a company with a turnover of CHF 3 billion and over 14,000 employees. The foundation helps young people to start their careers and supports cross-border cooperation in the Basel region.

Daetwyler Foundation

The Datwyler Foundation is a charitable foundation based in Altdorf. In 2024, over CHF 3 million in funding was distributed. The foundation supports numerous cultural and social projects.

Baugarten Zurich Foundation

The Stiftung Baugarten Zürich distributes around CHF 5 million in funding each year, with over 80% invested in the city of Zurich. The foundation focuses on social, cultural and scientific projects.

## Well-known founders and their lesser-known foundations - a look behind the scenes

When talking about large foundations, the same names often come up. But there are some wealthy individuals whose philanthropic activities are less well known, even though they invest considerable sums and commitment in supporting charitable projects. Here we take a closer look at some of these philanthropists, their wealth and the foundations they have set up.

Willy Michel - entrepreneur and patron of the arts

Willy Michel is a self-made billionaire with an estimated fortune of over 2 billion Swiss francs. He is best known for his successes in medical technology, but he is also strongly committed to promoting art.

The foundation he set up is dedicated in particular to preserving and promoting the work of the artist Franz Gertsch. A central project of the foundation is the Franz Gertsch Museum in Burgdorf, which houses one of the largest collections of this artist's work. With changing exhibitions and educational programs, the foundation actively contributes to making art accessible to a broad public and preserving it for the long term.

Rainer-Marc Frey - entrepreneur with a philanthropic focus

Rainer-Marc Frey has built up a considerable fortune as a successful investor. However, in addition to his business activities, he is also very active in philanthropy. His Frey Charitable Foundation pursues a clear entrepreneurial approach and supports people around the world in taking responsibility for their own lives and developing sustainable solutions to social problems.

In the early years, the foundation was active globally, but now focuses on two core regions: Africa and Switzerland. In Africa, FCF supports outstanding social entrepreneurs who develop innovative and scalable projects in areas such as education, health and environmental protection. A particular focus is on initiatives for digital legal advice, improving water supply and adapting to climate change.

Bruno Stefanini - The social real estate tycoon

Bruno Stefanini was one of Switzerland's most important real estate entrepreneurs and also a passionate art collector. He invested his fortune, estimated at over one billion Swiss francs, not only in real estate, but also in art and historical objects.

In 1980, he established the Foundation for Art, Culture and History (SKKG) to preserve his extensive collection and make it accessible to the public. Today, the SKKG owns one of the largest private art collections in Switzerland with over 100,000 objects, including works by Ferdinand Hodler, Albert Anker, Giovanni Giacometti and Meret Oppenheim.

In addition to art, Stefanini also collected historical curiosities, including a parasol belonging to Empress Sisi, a lectern belonging to John F. Kennedy and uniforms belonging to General Guisan. His foundation supports museums and cultural institutions throughout Switzerland with loans and grants.

After his death in 2018, the foundation was continued and is actively committed to the preservation and mediation of art and cultural assets.

Guido Fluri - commitment to social issues

The Guido Fluri Foundation was established by entrepreneur Guido Fluri, whose fortune is estimated at CHF 250 to 300 million. Fluri has not only made a name for himself as a businessman, but is also committed to socially relevant issues with his foundation.

The foundation pursues three main areas:

• Protecting children from violence - prevention work, aid programs and political initiatives
• Research into brain tumors - promoting medical advances and supporting those affected
• Integration of people with schizophrenia - education and social participation

One of the foundation's most important projects was the reparation initiative, which campaigned for the rehabilitation of former Verdingkindern and those who had received administrative care. This initiative was instrumental in ensuring that thousands of those affected received official recognition and financial compensation.

Conclusion

Three key findings can be identified:

• Economic integration: The largest foundations act as strategic investors and prove that charitable purposes and entrepreneurial thinking are not mutually exclusive - on the contrary: they create sustainable financing bases through company investments and real estate portfolios.

• Regional roots: In addition to the billion-dollar "global players", there is a dense network of smaller foundations that specifically promote local projects and thus strengthen social resilience.

• Generational change: The current boom in new foundations (298 new foundations in 2024) shows that wealthy baby boomers without direct heirs in particular are increasingly discovering foundations as an instrument for their legacy.

The unequal distribution of funds remains a critical issue: while some foundations have more funds than they can distribute, many smaller organizations struggle to find sufficient funding.

With its unique foundation ecosystem, Switzerland has created a global benchmark - a model that combines economic rationality with social responsibility. This success is based not least on the Swiss triad of political stability, an attractive legal framework and a deeply rooted culture of focusing on the common good.