BMW tycoon in 'blackmail' scandal

By Steve Rosenberg
BBC News, Berlin

Susanne Klatten is a married mother-of-three and Germany's richest woman

Germany's wealthiest woman has said a former lover tried to extort tens of millions of euros from her.

Susanne Klatten, a married business tycoon who owns a 12.5% stake in BMW, said a Swiss man with whom she had ended an affair tried to blackmail her.

She reportedly gave the lover several million euros when he said he needed money to pay off the mafia.

Once their affair was over, he allegedly said he would release photos of the couple unless she paid him more.

But instead of giving away more of her fortune, the reclusive 46-year-old mother-of-three went to the police, her spokesman said.

The case had been kept under wraps for nearly a year but the former lover and a suspected accomplice were recently arrested outside Germany.

Some German media have reported Susanne Klatten is one of four super rich German women who have fallen victim to the same gang.