German AfD Receives Record $1.5 Million Donation from Millionaire Winfried Stöcker

BERLIN, Germany — The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has received its largest single donation in its history, a 1.5 million euro ($1.6 million) contribution from multimillionaire and entrepreneur Winfried Stöcker. The donation, confirmed by the Bundestag administration on Tuesday, marks a significant financial boost for the party as it prepares for upcoming elections.

Stöcker, 77, is the founder of Euroimmun, a medical technology company, and owner of Lübeck Airport. A longtime supporter of the AfD, he has previously donated smaller amounts to the party, including 20,000 euros in 2021. This latest contribution far surpasses the previous record of 266,000 euros, donated by construction engineer Hartmut Issmer.

“The AfD has many good views and also spreads some bad ones,” Stöcker told Der Spiegel in 2021, openly expressing his support for the party. His ties to the AfD have drawn criticism, particularly after he hosted AfD leader Alice Weidel at a Euroimmun facility in September 2024. The visit prompted Euroimmun’s CEO, Dirk Beecker, to publicly distance the company from Stöcker’s political affiliations, stating, “We want to make it clear that Euroimmun is a globally open-minded company.”

Stöcker gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for developing an unapproved vaccine, which he administered to 50 to 100 people at Lübeck Airport. The incident led to a 250,000 euro fine, which Stöcker is currently appealing.

Under German law, political donations exceeding 35,000 euros must be reported to the president of the Bundestag and publicly disclosed. The AfD’s latest windfall comes amid a surge in large donations to political parties following the collapse of Germany’s coalition government in November 2024 and the announcement of early elections.

Despite Stöcker’s record-breaking contribution, the AfD is not the top recipient of single donations in 2024. That distinction belongs to the Bündnis party, which received 5.1 million euros from businessman Thomas Stanger.