• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
FinancePorsche
Europe

Porsche celebrates Europe’s largest IPO in over a decade as Volkswagen gears up to accelerate charge at Tesla

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 29, 2022, 5:38 AM ET
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and finance chief Lutz Meschke celebrate Europe's largest single IPO issue since 2011. The maker of the 911 sports car is valued at over €75 billion.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and finance chief Lutz Meschke celebrate Europe's largest single IPO issue since 2011. The maker of the 911 sports car is valued at over €75 billion.DANIEL ROLAND—AFP via Getty Images

Europe celebrated its largest initial public offering in over a decade after shares in luxury sports car manufacturer Porsche began trading on Thursday.

Parent company Volkswagen Group pushed through the listing of its 75%-owned subsidiary despite poor conditions in part prompted by this week’s chaos in U.K. currency and bond markets.

VW managed to secure a price at the very top of its indicated IPO range, after investors including a number of sovereign wealth funds subscribed to the stock for €82.50 each, valuing Porsche at roughly €75 billion ($72.5 billion). 

Volkswagen raised €9.4 billion in proceeds from the sale of a 25% stake in Porsche’s non-voting shares, making it the largest IPO issue since Swiss commodities firm Glencore listed in 2011. 

“The high level of demand demonstrates investors’ confidence in Porsche’s future,” said Volkswagen finance chief Arno Antlitz in a statement. 

He added the proceeds would accelerate his company’s transition toward vehicles powered by electricity rather than gasoline and defined as much through their programming code as their nuts-and-bolts mechanics. Tesla is presently far ahead of VW in terms of software expertise.

The IPO was only possible after Volkswagen execs were able to tap into the vast wealth of the industrial dynasty that controls it. At the behest of VW’s management, the Porsche and Piëch clans are borrowing heavily to finance the €10.1 billion purchase of a further 25% stake in the company’s non-listed ordinary shares, enough for a blocking minority.

Between both transactions, Volkswagen is set to rake in a total of €19.5 billion in gross proceeds and €9.95 billion net after it shares half of the spoils with its shareholders in the form of a one-off bonus.

The VW dynasty’s twin patriarchs, Wolfgang Porsche and his cousin Hans Michel Piëch, said the IPO was a win-win for all involved. 

“The proceeds will accelerate Volkswagen AG’s transformation, its shareholders will receive a special dividend payment and Porsche AG will gain more entrepreneurial freedom,” they said in a joint statement on Friday. 

Volkswagen had been hoping to market Porsche much the same as Ferrari did years earlier—as a luxury consumer good that enjoys higher valuations compared to a conventional incumbent carmaker like a General Motors.

Even though Porsche sold only about 300,000 cars last year, a tiny fraction of the 8.9 million sold across the entire group, it is VW’s undisputed cash cow. The luxury brand’s €5 billion in earnings contributed roughly a quarter of Volkswagen’s annual consolidated operating profit.

Early in trading, Porsche shares trading on the Frankfurt exchange under the ticker symbol P911 hit €84.70. Experts say the minimum threshold for whether an IPO can be considered a success is whether the stock closes the first day above its issue price; in Porsche’s case that would be above €82.50.

At this valuation Porsche ranks as the fifth largest carmaker in the world by market capitalization, ahead of Mercedes-Benz, GM, and Ford. 

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
Investingtech stocks
Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
1 hour ago
Novo Nordisk CEO looks beyond weight loss to longevity and aesthetics
HealthPharmaceutical Industry
Novo Nordisk CEO looks beyond weight loss to longevity and aesthetics
By Madison Muller and BloombergJune 7, 2026
3 hours ago
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
InvestingIPOs
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
3 hours ago
Trump says Fed rate increase would be wrong ahead of Warsh debut
EconomyFederal Reserve
Trump says Fed rate increase would be wrong ahead of Warsh debut
By Tony Czuczka, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and BloombergJune 7, 2026
6 hours ago
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone’
Big Techtech stocks
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone’
By Eva RoytburgJune 7, 2026
8 hours ago
AI’s mega stock deals raise specter of more shares than buyers
AItech stocks
AI’s mega stock deals raise specter of more shares than buyers
By Jeran Wittenstein, Henry Ren and BloombergJune 7, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
13 hours ago
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
3 days ago
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
21 hours ago
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
Commentary
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
Real Estate
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
By Sydney LakeJune 6, 2026
2 days ago
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
Economy
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.