'Chickening out' no option for Rheinmetall boss Papperger amid threats
09.08.2026, dpa
The head of German arms giant Rheinmetall is refusing to be intimidated despite round-the-clock security due to a litany of threats to his safety.
In comments to dpa released on Sunday, Armin Papperger said "chickening out" is not an option in his field.
"These jobs must be done, and anyone that can't take the pressure doesn't belong in this job," he said.
The 63-year-old is under police protection due to alleged Russian murder plots and has bodyguards at his side at all times, even in Rheinmetall's Dusseldorf headquarters. His level of protection is similar to that of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“It is well known that my garden shed was set on fire and that there were demonstrations outside my house,” said Papperger. “If that’s a threat, then yes – perhaps I ought to feel threatened.”
The German state is protecting him as far as is humanly possible, the defence industry executive said. “But in a different job, I would certainly face a lower level of threat.”
Rheinmetall is supplying large quantities of weapons to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and is also setting up factories in the country.
Germany's domestic intelligence services recently called on employees of defence contractors to be particularly vigilant, warning of an increased likelihood of companies becoming the target of espionage and sabotage by Russian state agencies.
Depending on how the war in Ukraine unfolds, targeted attacks against individual employees – particularly at management level – cannot be ruled out, a security advisory underlined.
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