Wurst-Case Scenario: Sausage Hog Sparks Shout-Fest at Daimler Annual Meeting
As Daimler AG shareholders approved the biggest dividend in the company’s history, two investors got into a fight at its annual general meeting over complimentary sausages.
The world’s second-biggest luxury-car maker called police to calm things down after one man began packing away multiple sausages from the buffet. A woman intervened, and the two got into a verbal altercation.
Daimler served about 12,500 wursts to the 5,500 shareholders who attended the meeting in Berlin, spokeswoman Silke Walters said. Buffets that can cost far more than one share of stock are part of the culture of European shareholder meetings, which can drone on the better part of a full day as investors chow down on everything from hearty pretzels and bratwurst to coffee and cake.
Daimler shareholders approved a dividend of 3.25 euros per share on April 6, enough for a double-pack of sausages at German discounter Aldi. Still, Chairman Manfred Bischoff mused at the meeting, clearly the company needs to do more to satisfy their hunger.
“Either we need more sausages, or we’ll have to get rid of the sausages entirely,” Bischoff said.
