Paul Gauselmann, who founded the Merkur Group, passed away on 21 August 2026 at the age of 91. He made the company what it is today, taking it from a one-person operation to an international corporation with more than 15,000 employees and an annual turnover of around €2.1 billion.
The Merkur Group announced the date of his death on LinkedIn, describing Paul as one of the last patriarchs of post-war times “who fought bravely with big dreams, as well as proud father, grandfather and husband.”
Paul Gauselmann was born in Borghorst near Münster in 1934 and entered the industry of amusement machines in 1956 after getting an education in telecommunications. He started his jukebox business in 1958 and became self-sufficient in 1964.
The great achievement of Gauselmann was the launch of the Merkur B machine in 1977 that became the first of the machines produced by the company.
Paul Gauselmann was significantly contributing to the industry in Germany for more than 38 years by participating in various industry organizations.
Merkur Group wrote in a LinkedIn post:
As an entrepreneur of the old school, he always lived modestly, with material wealth never being his primary motivation. He took particular pleasure in helping people and making the region a better place to live, whether through new childcare centres, fire engines or improved medical care.
In its tribute, Merkur described his legacy as that of an “extraordinary individual” and said it was saying goodbye with “humility and deep gratitude.”
