Schaeffler has expanded the company over the years. In 1999, he took over the German automotive manufacturer LuK GmbH, and in 2002, the German producer of ball bearings FAG Kugelfischer. After the expense of $15 billion, in 2008 Georg and the newly founded Schaeffler Group, acquired auto parts giant and one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, Continental AG. The Schaeffler Group employs over 80,000 people in 170 locations in 49 different countries.

According to ProPublica, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) “…embarked on a contentious audit of Schaeffler in 2012, eventually determining that he owed about $1.2 billion in unpaid taxes and penalties. But after seven years of grinding bureaucratic combat, the IRS abandoned its campaign”, and accepted “tens of millions”.

According to Forbes, Schaeffler has a net worth of US$20.1 billion. In March 2020, Schaeffler was ranked #96 on Forbes’ list of global billionaires and #4 for Germany. He and his mother’s (Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler) combined wealth is estimated to be US$34 billion.