C hristiane Knauf is a German heiress and a shareholder in Knauf Gips KG, a global giant in the building materials industry. The company was founded in 1932 by her grandfather, Karl Knauf, and his brother Alfons. They built the company into a leading producer of construction materials, most famously its drywall gypsum boards.

Knauf Gips has remained a privately held, family-owned enterprise for generations, and has grown into a multinational corporation with operations and sales around the world. Christiane, along with her siblings and cousins, inherited a stake in this massive industrial company. Like the other family members of her generation, her role is primarily that of a shareholder, and she is not involved in the day-to-day management of the business. Her wealth is derived from her ownership of this enduring and highly successful family company.