One of the last of his kind, Paul Gauselmann turns 90.

. As a founder, vending machine magnate, corporate leader, benefactor and family man, there’s no ambition Paul Gauselmann has not accomplished in his lifetime. Even age appears to have scarcely touched him. On 26 August, this stalwart entrepreneur of the post-war era will celebrate his 90th birthday. His persona, along with an excellent management team, continues to guide the fortunes of the Merkur Group. With his health in mind, he has reduced his working week to four days over the past year. Nevertheless, his focus remains on the company’s future and the welfare of its 15,000 employees: “For 67 years, I have lived with the constant hopes and fears for the success of our corporate group.”

Reflecting on his journey from launching a business in 1957 without any capital to overseeing an internationally acclaimed group of companies with sales revenues of approximately four billion euros, Paul Gauselmann sometimes struggles to grasp that his inventive spirit, passion for gaming, creative energy and people skills have brought him this far. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself,” he concedes. Yet, nothing was handed to him on a plate. His achievements stem from relentless hard work, a near-obsessive quest for perfection, a sharp instinct for entrepreneurship and considerable personal thrift. Paul Gauselmann never left anything to chance. His knack for identifying and capitalising on opportunities, coupled with his determination, have guided him to success. “Of course, like anyone, I’ve made mistakes,” he acknowledges. “However, the major business decisions have, by and large, turned out well for me.” Credit for this is also due to his wife Karin, his companion through 58 years of shared trials and triumphs. “She’s a formidable character; I couldn’t have come this far without her.”

To truly appreciate the extent of Paul Gauselmann’s success, we have to look back at his early years. The debris of bombed-out post-war Germany, where he played as a child born in Münster in 1934, also laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial acumen. By the age of ten, he was already contributing to the family income by collecting and selling scrap metal, copper and tin from the rubble. By 14, he had saved enough Deutschmarks to purchase his first bicycle with his own money. He also learned another crucial lesson: everyone is the architect of their own destiny. To achieve success, you must identify the correct path, make a consistent effort and strive to surpass all others.

The war also taught him something else: the importance of play. In the dreadful hours spent in air raid shelters, he would play games like skat, doppelkopf, halma, chess and nine men’s morris with his brothers Willi and Eugen. Paul Gauselmann understood first-hand the fascination and positive impact of gaming. It provided the boys with a chance to escape the harrowing reality around them for a while and immerse themselves in the carefree realm of games.

Paul Gauselmann’s insight into the value of gaming merged with his love for technology, forward-thinking and an unwavering drive to create and shape his own life. He was also fortunate that his entrepreneurial zeal coincided with the economic boom, allowing those driven by success to ascend rapidly. Germany at that time was not burdened by excessive bureaucracy but was a nation ripe with opportunities for movers and shakers. “Conditions were ideal for entrepreneurs with a solid business concept,” Paul Gauselmann recalls. “Very different to today. After the devastating war, the world was in dire need of reasons to feel joyful.”

Ludwig Erhard’s social market economy placed its faith in the individual – a trust that the young Paul Gauselmann embraced. Following his apprenticeship as a telecommunications inspector, which he completed as best in class, he ventured into part-time self-employment as a jukebox operator after seven years – the year was 1957, marking the inception of the Merkur Group. Then, in October 1964, Paul Gauselmann became fully self-employed. Precisely the years spent as an employee would shape the entrepreneur for the rest of his life. Paul Gauselmann has never lost sight of how important it is for an employer to show appreciation for their employees. Thus, even at 90, he makes time to engage with his employees whenever possible. A question here, a word of praise there – Paul Gauselmann always interacts with his staff on an equal footing, never forgetting how he started out himself.

The company’s autonomy signalled the start of an extraordinary ascent: the first in-house developed gaming machine, the Merkur B, launched in 1976, immediately delivered up to 100 per cent more gaming enjoyment, thus achieving significantly greater success than the market leaders’ machines at that time. This success was followed a few years later by the Merkur Disc, which introduced discs instead of reels for the first time and remains the best-selling slot machine ever with 40,000 units sold. Merely seven years after releasing his first gaming machine, Paul Gauselmann had already secured over 50 per cent market share in Germany. The establishment of the first gaming arcade, based on the concept of a three-star hotel, was also ground breaking and greatly contributed to the company’s rise. Subsequently, Merkur gaming arcades spread across Europe, and the laughing sun logo became synonymous with gaming fun. Establishing a strong presence in the UK and branching into the casino sector proved to be strategically spot on. The group also acquired expertise in online gaming and sports betting – the business of the future.

Paul Gauselmann was always ready to espouse the cause of others, understanding that adept business decisions were only part of the equation and that political influence was just as important. Active association work was therefore an important pillar that often made heavy claims on his time. “Individual companies have a hard time getting heard when it comes to political issues. But the interests of associations and hence an entire industry have greater political clout.” From 1966, he began learning the ins and outs of industry politics and gradually worked his way to the top. His no-nonsense, persuasive manner soon saw him elected Chairman of the German Amusement and Vending Machine Industry Association (VDAI), an office he held for 38 years. In this role, he was frequently a leading voice in the political debate and succeeded in lobbying the powers that be on behalf of all companies. His pronounced sense of justice would not let him rest when double standards were applied. “I abhor hypocrisy in any shape or form,” he concedes. Obviously, Paul Gauselmann also benefited from a slice of the pie of what he achieved for the industry as a whole. Yet, through the decades, he had such a positive overall impact that in 2018 he was made honorary president of the VDAI for his unswerving commitment.

Starting out as a one-man business 67 years ago, Paul Gauselmann has succeeded in building a major corporate group with today nearly 15,000 employees, while always staying true to his principle to be “an entrepreneur with a heart”. Thus, the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic – with arcades, casinos and sports betting shops forced to remain closed in some cases for up to seven months – caused him many a sleepless night. But despite the heavy losses of income, the boss looked after “his” people, with not a single one having to be let go due to the pandemic. What’s more, even during this difficult time he did not dip into the red – with hindsight definitely a source of pride for the corporate leader. “In my 67 years as an entrepreneur, I have been careful with my resources and have not once written in red ink.”

This old-school thrift – his success was never driven by material gain – allowed Paul Gauselmann to become a generous donor in his home region. The man to whom a fleet of luxury limos, a yacht or a plane meant nothing has earned more money in his lifetime than his family can possibly spend. So why not give some of it away? The entrepreneur from Espelkamp therefore set up the Paul and Karin Gauselmann Foundation, which over its 25-year history has allocated nearly five million euros to some 2,500 beneficiaries. 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.

With the acquisition of the decaying 500-year-old Schloss Benkhausen estate in Espelkamp, he set up a monument for himself. With an investment of several millions, he restored 11 old buildings, which today not only serve as a training centre for employees, but also as a conference hotel, meeting place and venue for a wide variety of artistic and cultural events from the surrounding region. The English Garden with adjacent recreational area, circular walking path and jetty is a peaceful haven for countless visitors who come here every day to walk, jog or simply relax.

Despite the fact that his exceptional dedication earned him the honorary citizenship of the towns of Espelkamp and Lübbecke many years ago, the father of four sons and great-grandfather to five great-grandchildren is as committed to social causes as ever. Not only has he funded the construction of two childcare centres in Espelkamp with an investment of around six million euros; when the town recently faced unforeseen financial difficulties, he stepped up once more with a donation of 8.7 million euros. To ensure the neighbouring town of Lübbecke, where the Merkur Group’s production plant is located, was not left behind, he contributed an additional five million euros. In a matter of just a few months, Paul Gauselmann has thus contributed around 20 million euros to the public good. Moreover, he has announced that a substantial portion of his private assets will be allocated to his foundation. “This will make it possible to support numerous good causes in the coming years,” assures Paul Gauselmann, looking back with satisfaction on his life’s work.