school days. The couple had three children: Johannes, Susanne and Christiane; they divorced in 1982. Later that year, Mohn married Elisabeth Scholz, with whom he had had an affair since the 1950s and fathered three children in the 1960s. After the wedding, Mohn adopted their three mutual children: Brigitte, Christoph and Andreas. Career Bertelsmann In 1947, Mohn took over the management of the C. Bertelsmann publishing company, which had been largely destroyed by bombing raids during World War II. In 1950, he established the book club, which formed the basis for the fast growth of the company in the decades that followed. From the beginning, he closely involved employees, e.g. through the loan participation program introduced in 1951. In 1969, he launched an employee profit-sharing model, viewed as exemplary throughout Germany. As a businessman, Mohn was consistent in his efforts to grow the traditional publishing business into a media conglomerate: Thus, he entered music and film production, invested in the magazine business, and promoted international expansion. A merger of Bertelsmann with the Axel Springer group planned in the years 1969/70 did not come to fruition. In 1971, Mohn transformed the family company into a joint stock corporation. In this way, he created another structural prerequisite for Bertelsmann's rise to one of the world's leading media groups. Mohn became chairman of the executive board, and in this position continued a corporate culture based on partnership, the essential component of which involves dialogue between management and employees. In 1976, he had a new corporate headquarters built, where Bertelsmann's home offices are still located today. During this time, Mohn also began an entry into the U.S. publishing business, of vital importance to Bertelsmann. The acquisition of Bantam Books (1977/1980) and Doubleday (1986) created the largest trade-book publishing group in the United States, at the time. In 1981, Mohn moved from the executive board to the supervisory board, which he chaired for another ten years, still remaining involved in business operations. At 70, he finally stepped down from his duties, and remained honorary chairman of the supervisory board. From then on, he dedicated his efforts primarily to the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation. In 1999, Mohn transferred his sole control over the voting rights of roughly 90% of Bertelsmann shares to the Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft, a move designed to ensure the continuity of his company. Bertelsmann Stiftung In 1977, Mohn established the non-profit Bertelsmann Stiftung, initially endowed