Ex-VW boss Winterkorn: dumping rent, 3,100 euros daily pension, Koi pond heating

S The Handelsblatt had immediately after his resignation reports that the ex-VW CEO and ex-supervisory board of Audi and Porsche SE will receive full pay - a million-dollar salary - until the end of 2016.

Since the beginning of the year, the ex-top -Manager (69) is now entitled to high pension payments, which were already announced in the Group's annual report for 2015 from last April. The so-called retirement salary for winter grain - set as a share of 70 percent of the last basic remuneration - amounts to around 1.2 million euros or the equivalent of just under 3,100 euros per day.

Dumping rent and Koi heating

Meanwhile, Spiegel reports that Martin Winterkorn rented his 400 square meter villa in Groß Schwülper near Braunschweig for around five euros per square meter in his first few years as CEO. According to the VW real estate company, this rental price came about because he only lived in half of the villa and accommodated VW guests in the other rooms.

In addition, according to the Spiegel report, the VW real estate company let Install a heating system for the garden pond for 60,000 euros, in which Winterkorn indulged his hobby: Koi carp. VW did not comment on the facts and only referred to Winterkorn's claim to ancillary services from a corresponding catalog. Everything was handled correctly from a tax point of view.

Fear of high severance payments

As the Handelsblatt and the ZDF format 'Frontal 21' researched at the time, Martin Winterkorn's contract was signed as part of the VW emissions scandal not resolved, although as chairman of the board he had assumed 'responsibility for the irregularities in diesel engines that had become known' To let conditions expire. The then incumbent chairman of the supervisory board Bertold Huber should have 'talks about a cancellation of the contract', so the Handelsblatt and further: 'It should be avoided that the group has to pay a high severance payment.' - probably feared public criticism in the event of a high severance payment. In addition, Winterkorn did not see itself responsible for the emissions scandal, even the supervisory board certified this to him when he resigned.

Nevertheless, the control body must share responsibility for theThe board of directors investigates and even has to cut salaries if the company's situation worsens according to stock corporation law. Under certain circumstances, Martin Winterkorn could even claim damages in the three-digit million range, in the event that he was complicit in the Dieselgate.

In 2014, Winterkorn earned 15.2 million euros

The Winterkorn contract sees it including a basic salary of 1.62 million euros. In addition, there are bonuses for work done in recent years - these add up to more than 10 million euros. In 2014, his salary totaled 15.2 million euros, making Winterkorn the best-paid DAX member of the board.

In our picture gallery, we show you how online social networks react to reports about Winterkorn's pension will.