The secretive German family behind the company that owns Panera Bread, Krispy Kreme, and Pret a Manger is donating more than $11 million after the discovery of its Nazi past

Hollis Johnson

JAB Holding Company owns brands including Au Bon Pain and Pret a Manger.

• The billionaire Reimann family - which owns JAB Holding Company - is donating more than $11 million to charity after uncovering the extent of its ancestors' Nazi activity.
• The family confirmed findings that Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. were early supporters of the Nazi party and used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war as forced laborers during World War II.
• JAB Holding owns brands including Keurig, Panera, Krispy Kreme, and Pret a Manger.

The family behind Krispy Kreme, Panera, and Caribou Coffee is making plans to atone for its Nazi past.

The Reimanns are one of the richest family dynasties in the world, worth at least $19 billion, according to Forbes. The German family owns the controlling interest in JAB Holding, the company that owns well-known chains including Panera, Krispy Kreme, and Pret a Manger.

Read more: The European company that owns Panera and Krispy Kreme has quietly acquired a new bottled-water company in its quest to create a beverage empire

Germany's largest newspaper, Bild, reported on Sunday that it had uncovered documents that revealed Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. were supporters of the Nazi party. During World War II, the company reportedly used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war as forced laborers.

"There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting," Peter Harf, a representative for the family, told Bild, according to the Associated Press.

The Reimann family plans to donate 10 million euros, or $11.3 million, to a not-yet-determined charity.

A JAB spokesperson told Business Insider that the donation was decided in late January, prior to the Bild report, and that the family did not have any further comment.

Albert Reimann Sr.'s ties to the Nazi party have previously been reported. However, the extent of the use of forced labor and Reimann's donations to the SS before the Nazi party came into power had not been reported.

Harf said that the Reimann family had been working with a University of Munich historian to research the family's history after reading documents kept by the family, according to the Associated Press. Once the historian's report is complete, the family plans to release it to the public.

In recent years, JAB Holding has acquired brands including Keurig, Krispy Kreme, Panera, Au Bon Pain, and Pret A Manger.

However, despite the high-profile deals, the Reimann family is famously private. Despite their ownership of the company, family members are reportedly barred from working for JAB. On their 18th birthday, they are also required to sign a pledge to stay out of public as much as possible, Forbes reported.