BMW CEO Harald Krueger collapsed on stage during a presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, September 15th. Only five minutes into his speech, the man staggered backwards and compassed to the floor without warning, holding his head in pain. This forced the carmaker to halt the presentation and shows just how stressful auto shows can be.
The 49-year old has only been at the helm of the company since May this year. He was speaking to reporters about the future of the brand on a stage he shared with the BMW i3, i8, M4 Convertible and a one of the latest motorcycle models.
Krueger apparently felt dizzy and collapsed. He was helped back on his feet by two assistants, but the show had to be stopped abruptly. BMW said that the company official had not been feeling well on the morning before the auto show, after returning sick from a trip abroad.
A BMW spokesman came on stage after Krueger's collapse and addressed the journalists: "I'm a bit lost for words, but that doesn't help. We ask that you stop recording and wait for the rescheduling of the conference later today."
The company statement released later said that Harald Krueger was assessed by a doctor moments after the incident and is now recovering well.
So far, nobody has tried to link this incident to the busy schedule of the CEO. But BMW is one of the fastest growing car companies in the world, and Krueger has been personally involved in the expansion of their production capacity and the development of new models.
The blue i8 model that can be seen in the background is a good example of how BMW is changing. This sportscar, considered by many to be a Porsche 911 competitor, actually uses electric motors and a small 1.5-liter turbo engine to power itself. With the rising popularity of the Tesla Model S, BMW is now looking to expand the i sub-brand.
Editor's note: It seems the CEO position at BMW as well as the cars are not for the faint hearted.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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