'Chickening out' no option for Rheinmetall boss Papperger amid threats

The head of German arms giant Rheinmetall is refusing to be intimidated despite round-the-clock security due to a litany of threats to his safety. 

In comments to dpa released on Sunday, Armin Papperger said "chickening out" is not an option in his field. 

"These jobs must be done, and anyone that can't take the pressure doesn't belong in this job," he said. 

The 63-year-old is under police protection due to alleged Russian murder plots and has bodyguards at his side at all times, even in Rheinmetall's Dusseldorf headquarters. His level of protection is similar to that of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

“It is well known that my garden shed was set on fire and that there were demonstrations outside my house,” said Papperger. “If that’s a threat, then yes – perhaps I ought to feel threatened.” 

The German state is protecting him as far as is humanly possible, the defence industry executive said. “But in a different job, I would certainly face a lower level of threat.”

Rheinmetall is supplying large quantities of weapons to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and is also setting up factories in the country.

Germany's domestic intelligence services recently called on employees of defence contractors to be particularly vigilant, warning of an increased likelihood of companies becoming the target of espionage and sabotage by Russian state agencies. 

Depending on how the war in Ukraine unfolds, targeted attacks against individual employees – particularly at management level – cannot be ruled out, a security advisory underlined.

No thoughts of retirement

In any case, 63-year-old Papperger is not yet thinking about stepping down from Germany's largest arms manufacturer, which he has led as chief executive since 2013. 

"For a start, I still have a contract running for three and a half years, so a great deal of water will flow down the Rhine before then," he said. "At the moment, I feel young and healthy, and I'm really enjoying working with much younger people."

The engineer joined Rheinmetall in 1990 after completing his studies and, over the course of 36 years, held numerous positions before rising to the top of the defence group. 

But even in retirement, Papperger has no intention of taking it easy.

"Rheinmetall is like a second family to me. But I do have a few other companies of my own, so I'll always have something to keep me busy," said the manager.

"I've also got a wonderful family. Perhaps it's time to spend a bit more time with my grandchildren," he added. "But that's still a bit of a way off."

According to Papperger, the head of a defence company must possess three qualities: technical understanding, a willingness to engage with politics, and a highly strategic mindset. 

Maintaining close contact with the political sphere is a matter of course, he said. "After all, they're the customers. I believe it's always sensible to have a good rapport with your customers."

Rheinmetall is simply not a normal business, he argued. "If I were selling cars, I'd naturally have millions of customers. I have perhaps 120 customers worldwide. Ultimately, there are 120 governments we're dealing with."