New Benteler Group owner Casper Benteler in legal battle over $30 million loan he used to take over family business

US court filings allege that Casper Benteler, heir to a German manufacturing dynasty, made false claims to fraudulently borrow $30 million from a US company to pay off relatives as part of a deal to assume control of the family business. Casper Benteler then assumed control of the multibillion-euro Benteler Group in March, just months after he was accused by former partner Beep of diverting $30 million from their business collaboration to pay off relatives.

Beep's September 2025 complaint in New York federal court claims Casper Benteler convinced the Florida-based autonomous vehicle firm to advance $30 million in early 2024 for a joint U.S. manufacturing venture involving Holon Motors shuttles. Instead of building a promised Jacksonville factory or hitting prototype deadlines, Beep alleges Benteler treated the cash as an “interest-free personal loan” to resolve liquidity issues tied to buying out relatives.

“Casper explained that his family squabbles rendered him short of cash, so he needed $30 million from Beep” the filing states. During a dinner with Beep, “Casper bragged that he was able to secure a “sweetheart” deal to buy-out his sister and cousins, which would deliver him exclusive control over the Benteler enterprise”.

Beep says Benteler initially offered a personal guarantee, then substituted his Liechtenstein-based CAB Holding GmbH – now the Benteler Group's holding company – once the buyout neared.

The 2024 Alliance Agreement that Casper Benteler signed with Beep required Benteler Trading International (BTI), controlled by Casper Benteler, to secure U.S. manufacturing land by November 2024, deliver prototypes by May 2025, and grant Beep exclusivity on initial U.S. sales. Beep claims none happened: no land was leased, prototypes never arrived, and Benteler struck a separate July 2025 Lyft partnership for Holon shuttles, violating non-compete terms.

“Casper and the Defendants never had any intention to live up to their end of the bargain,” Beep alleges, accusing them of exploiting its regulatory expertise, software, and market access while plotting to replace it with Benteler Mobility. CAB Holding ignored repayment demands after defaults, per the suit.

Benteler's March 2026 takeover, which transferred control from entities tied to his father Hubertus and uncle Helmut to CAB Holding, now raises serious eyebrows in light of these revelations that Casper Benteler and CAB Holding are being sued over the missing $30 million.

The saga also threatens Benteler Group’s wider business, as the collaboration with Lyft could also be at risk from the lawsuit given it’s claims of a non-compete clause. Beep's narrative of fraud and broken promises raises serious questions about how exactly Casper raised the funds he needed to take control of Benteler Group.