Rolf Erb

Rolf Peter Erb (2 September 1951 – 8 April 2017) was a Swiss businessman and convicted fraudster. He was primarily known for his involvement in the Erb Group bankruptcy case, the second largest in Switzerland after Swissair, worth over $2 billion in 2003.

Erb was born 2 September 1951 in Winterthur, Switzerland, the second of three sons, to Hugo Erb Jr. (1918–2003) and Loni Erb (née Frey; 1924–2000).^[1] He had an older brother, Heinz Erb (1949–1972), and a younger brother, Christian Erb (born 1958).

He studied art history in Florence, Italy with the intention on becoming an art historian. After the sudden death of his older brother, he was deemed successor and was also educated in business administration.^[2]

On 22 March 2012, Erb was sentenced by the Winterthur District Court for making false business statements, document forgery on several counts and prejudicial treatment of creditors by reducing personal assets, to eight years in prison.^[3] Erb and the state attorneys office announced to appeal the sentence. ^[4] On 15 January 2015 the sentence was reduced to seven years in prison. Further the courts decided that all personal property, including a classic car collection as well as the real estate, which included a Winterthur estate and Eugensberg Castle, should be auctioned by authorities. Ultimately, Erb announced to move the case to the Federal Supreme Court, which was ultimately dismissed on 16 September 2015.^[5][6] Erb deferred entering prison several times through medical certificates and other legal options. He was supposed to report to prison on 5 April 2017, which he deferred a last time and ultimately died at his castle.^[7]

In 1981, Erb firstly married Christina Dorothea Conze (1958–2009)^[8], whom he divorced while his new partner was pregnant. They did not have children. In 2002, he secondly married to Daniela Sheridan (née Taverna), a recent divorcee originally from Höngg.^[9] They had twins;

• Alexander Sheridan-Erb (born 2002)^[10]
• Nicolas Sheridan-Erb (born 2002)^[11]

Erb died 2 September 1951 at Eugensberg Castle in Salenstein, Switzerland aged 65, reportedly of heart problems. Shortly after he received notice to report to prison within days.^[12][13]