Allianz boss Bäte keeps falling out of character – and yet he is unassailable

Munich In November, Oliver Bäte was in top form again. At the Insurance Summit of the Handelsblatt, the Allianz boss presented himself as an admonisher, critic and cynic. “Politics should focus less on chatting and delivering more,” he said.

20 minutes were enough for those who have been following the Allianz boss for a long time to experience another Bäte show with great entertainment value. And those who didn’t know him were left with a mixture of astonishment and rejection.

Oliver Bäte has been at the helm of Europe’s largest insurer for more than seven years. He criticizes political and economic developments like no other Dax boss. In often clear words, the 57-year-old looks far beyond the Allianz borders. Sometimes he sees the German business model at stake, then he criticizes parties for their “tired election campaign”. Or he concentrates straight away on his favorite opponents, the central banks. “The savers are expropriated,” is his conclusion.