Mandel Szkolnikoff: The Richest Nazi Collaborator in Occupied France

Mandel Szkolnikoff became the richest man in Nazi-occupied France by amassing a fortune through black-market dealings and collaboration with the German occupation authorities during the Second World War.When Nazi Germany conquered France in the summer of 1940, the country fell into chaos, fear, and economic collapse. Factories closed, food shortages spread, and priceless art and property were seized by the occupiers. In this devastated landscape, a handful of opportunists rose to immense wealth by serving the German war machine. Among the most notorious was Mandel Szkolnikoff — a man who became the richest person in wartime France, amassing a fortune through corruption, black-market dealings, and close cooperation with the SS.Born in 1895 in today’s Belarus, Szkolnikoff built his early business career across Russia, Poland, and Belgium before settling in France. When the occupation began, he seized the moment. Starting in 1940, he supplied textiles and luxury goods to the Kriegsmarine, earning huge profits from a system designed for exploitation. With the help of his partner Hélène Sanson and powerful SS officers such as Fritz Engelke, he expanded his empire across France, Belgium, and Monaco.By 1943–44, Szkolnikoff’s wealth was staggering: luxury hotels, villas on the French Riviera, prime properties in Paris, and a real-estate empire stretching from Monaco to the Champs-Élysées. Protected by high-ranking Germans, he lived in extravagant luxury while millions across Europe starved, suffered, or were murdered.But as the war turned, Szkolnikoff tried to flee with his fortune. In 1945, French agents tracked him down in Spain, where he died under murky circumstances during an attempted capture. His entire estate—the largest asset seizure in French history—was taken by the French state. His story remains one of the most astonishing cases of greed, betrayal, and wartime opportunism in occupied Europe.This episode is part of the series Fascist Millionaires and Rich Traitors.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv