E rwin Franz Mueller is a self-made German billionaire and the founder of Mueller, one of Germany's leading drugstore and retail chains. His is a classic story of post-war German entrepreneurship. A trained hairdresser, he opened his first salon in 1953. He later expanded his business into a perfumery and then, in 1973, he opened his first full-service drugstore.

He has since built Mueller into a massive retail empire with hundreds of stores across Germany and in several other European countries. Unlike its main rivals, Mueller stores are known for their large size and their vast product range, which goes far beyond a typical drugstore to include perfumes, toys, stationery, and multimedia products. Despite his age, he remains the head of the privately held company he built from a single hair salon into a multi-billion dollar retail giant. He is known for his hands-on management style and his deep expertise in the retail business.