Volkswagen’s investors are latest group to take up pitchforks against the embattled automaker, and they’re seeking
$9 billion in damages, Reuters reports.
The investor lawsuits were filed in a court in Braunschweig, Germany, near Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters. On Monday, the first business day following the anniversary of the emissions revelations, the court received 750 lawsuits alone. All told, about 1,400 lawsuits have been filed. The largest single claim totals $3.7 billion and was filed more than six months ago.
The lawsuits stem from complaints that Volkswagen didn’t divulge information on the cheating software to investors quickly enough. Volkswagen has said that it hasn’t broken any capital market laws. The
$21.5 billion the company set aside to weather the storm may not be enough. The consumer
fix is estimated to run the company $14.7 billion, either through buybacks or a fix that still seems unclear.
In addition to the lawsuits, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller confirmed that
Audi boss Rupert Stadler is under investigation regarding the scandal. Mueller refused to give further details, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Audi has admitted that its 3.0-liter V6 was equipped with the same emissions-cheating software as the 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesels.
Stefan Knirsch, Audi’s head of development, has been suspended as part of the overall investigation. Knirsch took over duties after his predecessor quit. Knisch was previously head of engine development at Audi.
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