Puma's founder left everything to one son, the other son won control in court, and the Dassler brothers lie at opposite ends of one cemetery

Adolf and Rudolf Dassler registered Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik in Herzogenaurach in 1924. Both joined the Nazi party in 1933. Jesse Owens wore their shoes at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Rudolf was called up in the war and suspected Adi had arranged it. The Allies later held him on suspicion of working for the Gestapo, and he believed Adi had informed on him. In 1948 the brothers divided the assets and the workers. Rudolf founded Puma, and Adi founded Adidas in 1949, on opposite sides of the Aurach river. Rudolf died in 1974. His will named his younger son, Gerd, sole heir. His elder son, Armin, claimed 60 percent of the shares under the partnership agreement, won in court against Gerd, and ran the company. Adi died in 1978. The brothers are buried at opposite ends of the town cemetery. Adi's son Horst died in 1987, and the Dassler heirs sold control of Adidas to the French businessman Bernard Tapie. Puma lost 32 million marks in 1987. In April 1989 Armin and Gerd sold their 72 percent of Puma to the Swiss trading group Cosa Liebermann. When Armin died in October 1990, his family no longer owned any of Puma. In 2009 staff of the two companies played a football match together. In October 2026 China's Anta Sports completed its purchase of 29.06 percent of Puma from the Pinault family's Artémis for about 1.5 billion euros.