Henning Conle

{{Short description|UK-based German-Swiss billionaire property owner}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Henning Conle

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1944|02|}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| restingplace =

| nationality = German, Swiss

| education =

| alma mater =

| occupation =

| title =

| term =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| known for = Property owner

| boards =

| spouse =

| children =

| parents =

| relations =

| website =

}}

Henning Conle (born February 1944){{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/l0HtR-6OAjxSfCQDzHqe0kx-iTw/appointments |title=Henning CONLE – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House) |publisher=Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk |date=21 October 2013 |accessdate=7 May 2017}} is a UK-based German-SwissSebastian Pittelkow, Katja Riedel, Georg Wellmann: [https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr-sz/afd-spenden-115.html Geheime AfD-Spenden Spur zum Umfeld eines Duisburger Milliardärs] In: tagesschau.de vom 4. April 2019. billionaire property owner.

Through a Liechtenstein-registered company, Sirosa, Conle owns "almost £2bn of prime real estate" in central London, including the Liberty of London building, the Kensington Roof Gardens, the London offices of Manchester United and the art deco Shell Mex House on the Strand.{{cite web|author=Philip Oltermann in Berlin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/11/london-property-empire-controversial-german-landlord |title=London property empire amassed by controversial German landlord | UK news |work=The Guardian |date= 11 May 2014|accessdate=7 May 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://sourceable.net/dodgy-german-landlord-emerges-as-london-property-mogul/ |title=Dodgy German Landlord Emerges as London Property Mogul |publisher=Sourceable.net |date=16 May 2014 |accessdate=7 May 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/The-German-family-playing-a-real-life-game-of-Monopoly/articleshow/50772229.cms |title=The German family playing a real-life game of Monopoly – Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=29 January 2016 |accessdate=7 May 2017}}

In Germany, Conle may own "more than 10,000 properties", and in Hamburg, owned up to 2,500 flats in the 1990s. Conle is "long-renowned in his home country of Germany for shoddy buildings and acrimonious tenant disputes".

In 2013, Conle purchased the Kensington Roof Gardens through a company, Cartina Kensington Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Sirosa Anstalt. The property was purchased for £225 million,{{Cite news|url=http://www.kensingtonsociety.org/will-happen-roof-gardens/|title=What will happen to Europe's largest roof garden? – The Kensington Society|date=27 February 2018|work=The Kensington Society|access-date=8 October 2018|language=en-GB}} £25 million higher than the closest bidder – the Qatar Investment Authority.{{Cite news|url=https://www.morganpryce.co.uk/knowledge-centre/exclusive-news-articles/german-investor-rivals-funds-of-middle-east|title=German investor rivals funds of Middle East|work=Morgan Pryce|access-date=8 October 2018|language=en-GB}}

There has been speculation that Conle acts on behalf of Russian investors, though representatives for Sirosa have denied this.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/11/london-property-empire-controversial-german-landlord|title=London property empire amassed by controversial German landlord|last=Oltermann|first=Philip|date=11 May 2014|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=8 October 2018}}

In 2018, media investigations showed that Conle was involved in the AfD donation scandal by illegal financing politicians of Germany's right-wing party "Alternative for Germany", especially Alice Weidel.{{cite web |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr-sz/afd-spenden-115.html |title=Geheime AfD-Spenden: Spur zum Umfeld eines Duisburger Milliardärs {{!}} tagesschau.de |website=www.tagesschau.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404150426/http://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr-sz/afd-spenden-115.html |archive-date=4 April 2019}}

Other companies owned by Conle include the British-registered Strandbrook, of which Conle and his daughter Johanna Conle are registered officers.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 his net worth was estimated at £1.168 billion.{{Cite news|last=Times|first=The Sunday|title=Rich List 2020: profiles 101-199=, featuring Sir Paul McCartney and Joanne Rowling|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/rich-list-2020-profiles-101-199-featuring-paul-mccartney-and-jk-rowling-dvd9zt5p0|access-date=10 June 2020|issn=0140-0460}}