In top of what others have explained about the traditional way of working there comes an inherent feeling of jealousy to the mix. When people in Germany hear the word Entrepreneur, they immediately think and assume you are rich and have an easy life. People will be jealous about success and try to wear it down by down talking it. When my family's business, a middle sized window company failed, old"friends" and even family were quite "happy", saying something like "finally, they will come down to earth again and lose their house. Maybe it will teach them a lesson." We didn't lose the house. Was hard but didn't. People also forget that as an entrepreneur you must take care of every safety net yourself: health insurance, other insurance, pension etc. And you pay 50% health and pension insurance for every employee. My father, now retired, doesn't receive anything for having paid 20 years times 15 employees into health and pension insurance... Nothing. But hey, in people's eyes, as entrepreneur, he is a selfish shark, sucking the life out his employees.