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Home » PBD Podcast #735: w/ Ritz Carlton Founder Horst Schulze (Transcript)

PBD Podcast #735: w/ Ritz Carlton Founder Horst Schulze (Transcript)

Editor’s Notes: In this episode of the PBD Podcast, host Patrick Bet-David sits down with Horst Schulze, the legendary co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, to discuss his journey from a 14-year-old apprentice in Germany to a global leader in luxury hospitality. Schulze shares his core philosophies on mastering customer service, the critical difference between being a manager and a true leader, and why operating with a clear sense of purpose is the foundation of excellence. The conversation also delves into fascinating stories from his career, including his interactions with icons like Steve Jobs and his unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards in every venture. (Feb 10, 2026) 

TRANSCRIPT:

A Life-Changing Interview

PATRICK BET-DAVID: Here’s a promise I’ll make you. By the time you’re done watching this interview with the founder of Ritz Carlton, your life will change. I’m telling you right now, it’s a big promise. And I don’t normally open up an interview saying this. This was one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done in my life with an 87-year-old man that was born in Nazi Germany in 1939. His father was in the military, his father was a Nazi, his mother hated the Nazis.

And all he talked about was love and respect and how this boy from this city in Germany grows up, goes into the hospitality business, eventually starts Ritz Carlton later on. The only business ever to get two awards from the government for the best service in the world. That what came with that honor was the fact that you had to let any company come to your company to learn customer service.

And guess one of the guys that showed up? Steve Jobs showed up and said, how can we make Apple’s customer service better? In the early 1990s, the meetings he had, the people he served over the years, the philosophies.

Leadership Principles and Standards

PATRICK BET-DAVID: Yeah, I asked him a question. I said, tell me about the managers you manage. He said, 65 managers. I said, of the 65 managers, how many were leaders? How many were managers? Five leaders. Five. Sixty were managers. I said, give me the best one that you had. What did they do? He gave three principles of what this guy did. Breaking it down. Here’s what made this guy better executive, here’s what made him a better leader. How do you deal with confrontation? How do you deal with issues? The answer is going to shock you.

And for us, we’ve had Ritz come here and train us in this exact room with all of our executives. And then I shared an experience we had with a local Ritz Carlton in Fort Lauderdale. And I asked him, I said, so how has Ritz customer service been since you left? I think in early 2000, 2002. And his answer, he did not want to give the answer, but eventually gave the answer, and it was a shocking answer of what happens after the founder of Ritz left and what happened to their customer service at the time, they were number one.

And then what he did later on with the company called Capella. And then while we’re sitting here, he’s talking about an email he got from a previous friend, employee that went to a Ritz Carlton. He was in pain. He got emotional, talking about the fact that those standards are no longer there at Ritz.

Again, I can go on and on. Married to his wife for, I think, almost 50 years, 47 years, raised four kids, top-down principles, values on personal life, all of that. I can go on with a ton of stories, but I’ll wrap it up with this one quote that he said from early, one of his mentors, which you have to see when he tells the story to you.

“Please promise me you won’t be a chair. Please promise me you won’t be a chair.”

The amount of money he’s made, he’s met people from Onassis back in the days. Remember, this man’s been around for 87 years to many of the recent presidents, all the presidents that we’ve had. And at 17 and a half years old, his first manager told him, “Promise me you won’t be a chair,” meaning one day when he becomes successful, you won’t be somebody that just sits out there telling people what to do. And he kept that promise.

Your life is about to change by the time you’re done watching this interview with the one and only founder of Ritz, Horst Schulze. Enjoy this interview.

The Interview Begins

PATRICK BET-DAVID: I agree with you. And by the way, Horst, you need to know this. I’ve been following your work for many years. We read the book, we see the work that you’ve done over the years. We brought in October of 2024, a Ritz trainer to teach on standards of excellence in this room. We took all our executive, all our managers for a full day. She did a great job on the training on what you guys stand for, questions to ask. And, you know, I’ve been a customer of yours for decades, going to Ritz Carlton all over the world and to sit with the guy that came up with the ideas to talk to you. It’s a pleasure. It’s great having you on the podcast.

HORST SCHULZE: Great to be with you.

PATRICK BET-DAVID: Yes.

HORST SCHULZE: And I, in turn, I admire what you’re doing.

PATRICK BET-DAVID: Well, thank you.

HORST SCHULZE: Truly do.

PATRICK BET-DAVID: Thank you. Thank you.

Born in Nazi Germany

So let’s get right into it. I’m looking at, as I’m going through the story, I’m like, wait a minute. He was born in 1939 in Stuttgart, Germany.

HORST SCHULZE: Wasn’t Stuttgart, but was not Stuttgart.

PATRICK BET-DAVID: In the wine area, you know, where apparently it’s right next to the Luxembourg in France on that area where it’s a perfect market to create wine.