Christian Lindner is set for a promotion in 2027.Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Used car salesman (and former German finance minister) Christian Lindner to be promoted – POLITICO

27 Apr 2026, 16:17 by Ferdinand Knapp · POLITICO

Former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner is stepping into a bigger role at a major car dealership.

After his dismissal as finance minister in 2024 and his Free Democratic Party's abysmal performance in the 2025 election, Lindner quit politics. Autoland AG subsequently announced last fall that he would join their executive board. The company claims to be Germany's biggest auto dealer for used and new vehicles.

Lindner is now set for a promotion in 2027. "The company must be in the hands of a manager. And the first management leader is Mr. Lindner. He will become the CEO," Autoland founder Wilfried Wilhelm Anclam said on an automotive podcast Monday.