Peter Spuhler

Peter Spuhler, former CEO of Stadler Rail, built a fortune buying up railcar makers across eastern Europe.His wife's grandfather had started Stadler five decades earlier, and in 1989, he bought the company from her grandmother for $6 million.He embarked on a two-decades-long acquisition trek, buying up parts of crumbling rivals.Over the years Stadler has built railcars to climb to Germany's highest peak and designed ones to withstand the brutal Helsinki winters.Spuhler sold 20% of the business in 2005 but has repurchased most of the stake. In 2017 he stepped aside as Stadler CEO, but remains chairman.