German entrepreneur Wanja Oberhof released from US custody after bail

Cologne. The German entrepreneur Wanja Oberhof (40) is said to have been released on Monday after about a week in US custody. The Handelsblatt learned this from his father-in-law Hans-Georg Oelmann, a Berlin lawyer. His daughter, the model Anabel “Bella” Oelmann (29), is Oberhof’s wife and business partner.

When asked, Hans-Georg Oelmann confirmed that he had vouched for his son-in-law. The US authorities have not yet responded to a short-term request.

Oelmann is one of two guarantors for a $2 million bail. The second guarantee was provided by an entrepreneur from Berlin, whose identity is not yet known.

Oberhof was arrested last week at Newark Airport in New Jersey. The US justice system accuses the serial founder of having defrauded an investor of $2.5 million. This is said to be the former Siemens boss Klaus Kleinfeld. A spokesman for Kleinfeld confirmed this. He told Handelsblatt: “The fun stops for my client when things like this happen.” Oberhof could not yet be reached for comment.

Kleinfeld invested in Oberhof’s start-up “The Healing Company”. Oberhof wanted to expand the company into a wellness group together with his wife Anabel Oelmann. In addition to Kleinfeld, other well-known investors have invested in the company. These include Christian Angermayer, founder of the investment company Apeiron, and the family office of management consultant Stephan Goetz.

The court set the required financial security for possible release at $2 million. As Bild reports, judge Ona T. Wang initially demanded a cash security of $100,000 and two sureties.

Because, according to Oberhof's lawyer, it was difficult to find a guarantor who lived in the USA, the parties agreed to change the conditions. Instead of the original cash security of $100,000, one million dollars in cash was now to be deposited. In return, the authorities were apparently able to accept two German guarantors.

Judge Wang is said to have approved this regulation on Friday. Oberhof initially remained in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The court did not initially say whether the additional million dollars had now been deposited.

Strict conditions apply to Oberhof after his release. These include house arrest, GPS monitoring and the surrender of his passport. Its range of motion is limited to New York City, Long Island and neighboring counties. He must remain available for further court dates. “My son-in-law is preparing for his upcoming court hearing,” said Oelmann.

Oberhof became known in particular as co-founder and later boss of Social Chain AG, which wanted to combine brand and social media marketing with e-commerce. A hype arose around the company thanks to the two prominent co-investors Georg Kofler and Ralf Dümmel and the TV show “The Lions' Den” in 2021. Just two years later it had to file for bankruptcy.

According to his own information, Oberhof has been involved in more than 40 companies as a founder or investor in his career. Oberhof currently serves as CEO of Deutsche E-Metalle AG in Dresden.