Early Life
Benjamin Otto was born in Hamburg, Germany, on June 9, 1975. He is one of two children of Michael Otto, who led the Otto Group, a major retail and services group, for 26 years. His grandfather, Werner Otto, founded the Otto Group in 1949 as a mail-order business.
Career and Rise to Success
After completing his Abitur, Benjamin Otto trained as a bank clerk at Berenberg Bank. He studied International Business at the European Business School in London. Following experience in Madrid and Buenos Aires, Otto founded Intelligent House Solutions in 2003, a company focused on smart home solutions. This later developed into evoreal Holding, a medium-sized firm in project development, where he was a shareholder until 2018. In 2013, he co-founded the e-commerce start-up Collins, which created About You and Edited. Otto became a “shaping partner” at the Otto Group on June 1, 2015, focusing on the company's strategic direction. He is also active as an investor in the start-up and venture capital sector, including the Revent Ventures impact tech fund.
Key Business Strategies
As a “shaping partner” in the Otto Group, Otto emphasizes “Responsible Commerce that inspires,” focusing on digitalization and sustainability to guide the company into the future. The Otto Group has a strong presence in e-commerce, with a focus on platforms and brand concepts, as well as the retail, services and financial services segments. In 2024/25, the Otto Group generated revenues of approximately €15 billion (about $17.1 billion), showing stable revenue growth and significantly increased profitability.
Philanthropy
Benjamin Otto and his wife, Janina Lin Otto, are involved in philanthropic activities. They are actively engaged in the Holistic Foundation and the HHI Holistic Health Institute Foundation, supporting holistic and alternative treatment methods. The Holistic Foundation focuses on wellbeing, holistic health, vocation and social entrepreneurship.