Final Investigation Summary
Investigation document: Final Investigation Summary
Final Investigation Summary: Janssen Patents, Wealth, and Heirs
Introduction
This document summarizes the findings of a deep investigation into Paul Janssen's patent portfolio, personal wealth, and living heirs. The investigation has uncovered significant details about the family's financial structures and the early history of Paul Janssen's intellectual property.
1. Patent Assignee Analysis
Key Findings:
- Earliest Patents Assigned to Dutch Company: The earliest patents (1954-1957 priority dates) were assigned to N.V. Nederlandsche Combinatie voor Chemische Industrie, a Dutch company in Amsterdam, not a Belgian entity.
- Dual Assignee Structure: The very first patent (US2894033A, priority 1955) was assigned to both the Dutch company and "Laboratoria Pharmaceutica Dr. C. Janssen, N.V." in Belgium.
- Shift to Individual Assignee: From 1957 onwards, patents were increasingly assigned to Paul Janssen as an individual.
- Nearly 50% of Patents Filed as Individual: Approximately 48% of Paul Janssen's US patents were assigned to him personally, not to a company.
Unanswered Questions:
- The relationship between the Belgian and Dutch companies remains unclear.
- The reason for filing the first patent's priority in the Netherlands is unknown.
2. Personal Wealth and Family Holdings
Key Findings:
- Estimated Fortune: €300+ Million: The Janssen family is ranked among the top 10 richest families in Belgium.
- Family Holding Company: QRS N.V.:
- Manages real estate, sports facilities, and engineering consultancy.
- Total assets grew from ~€15M in 2020 to ~€35M in 2024.
- Art Collection as Inheritance Tax: The family transferred a valuable Pre-Columbian art collection to the Flemish government to pay inheritance taxes after Paul Janssen's death, indicating a significant tax liability.
3. Living Heirs and Current Activities
All 5 Children Confirmed Living and Active:
| Name | Role in QRS N.V. |
|---|---|
| Pablo Janssen (son) | CEO | | Herwig Janssen (son) | CEO | | Yasmine (Jasmine) Janssen (daughter) | Board Member | | Maroussia Janssen (daughter) | Manager | | Graziella Janssen (daughter) | Board Member | | Ludwig Criel (son-in-law) | Director |Current Investments:
- Herwig Janssen and Ludwig Criel both hold identical, significant stakes (2.20% each) in Tryptamine Therapeutics Limited, an Australian biotech company, confirming ongoing international investment in the pharmaceutical sector.
Overall Conclusion
The investigation confirms that Paul Janssen filed a significant portion of his early and most valuable intellectual property either as an individual or through a Dutch company, not the Belgian entity that was sold to Johnson & Johnson. This raises questions about what intellectual property was actually included in the 1961 sale.
The family's substantial wealth (€300M+) is managed through a sophisticated holding structure (QRS N.V.) established after the J&J acquisition. All five of Paul Janssen's children are alive and actively involved in managing the family's diverse assets, which include international real estate and biotech investments.