Rudolf Oetker, shipping entrepreneur, dies at 90

Rudolf Oetker, shipping entrepreneur, dies at 90 Rudolf August Oetker, 90, the German entrepreneur whose family owns Hamburg Sud and Alian'a died Tuesday.
   Forbes magazine said he was among the richest people in the world, with family wealth estimated at about $8 billion. The magazine said he was known as the 'pudding king' in Germany because of his family's traditional involvement in the food business.
   His father was an inventor of ready-to-use baking powder, and after the war Oetker diversified the business. In addition to shipping and food — everything frozen pizza to beer and wine and spirits — the company was involved in banking, chemicals and publishing.
   Oetker Group first invested in Hamburg Sud in 1936 and took it over in 1955. It became the largest segment of the company's business. AXS Marine says it is the 17th-largest container carrier in the world with a capacity of 204,177 TEU.
   With 146 ships, the Hamburg S'd Group offers about 40 regular container liner services linking the continents. It is a leading North-South carrier. Its services connect South America with Europe, North America, the Mediterranean, Asia, South and West Africa.
   It also has services connecting Europe with the Mediterranean, India and Pakistan, and services linking Australia-New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with Asia and North America.