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Bayerische Versorgungskammer Faces US Lawsuits Over €700 Million Real-Estate Losses

Mounting legal, political scrutiny now confronts Germany’s largest public pension institution after US property bets soured.

Overview

  • Tenants and buyers in the United States have filed damages suits tied to failed projects, with some invoking RICO, while the BVK says no complaint has been formally served.
  • The pension fund invested about €1.6 billion in high-profile US properties, including assets in Manhattan and Miami and the Transamerica Pyramid, leading to 2024 impairments of roughly €160 million and an estimated overall hit of up to €690–700 million.
  • A significant share of the deals involved investor Michael Shvo, who has reportedly lodged an $85 million fee claim against the BVK.
  • The BVK has dismissed two long-time real-estate managers and commissioned an external review, as Munich prosecutors conduct preliminary inquiries.
  • Bavaria’s Interior Ministry denies an oversight lapse, experts see no immediate risk to benefit payments, and German attorneys have formed an interest group to seek disclosures and potential compensation.