List of Famous people born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Anke Schäferkordt is a German businessperson who served as CEO of the RTL Group from 2012 until 2017. Besides that, she won the International Emmy Award for Directorate Award in 2013.

Malick Thiaw is a German-Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for the German club Schalke 04.

Anton "Toni" Schumacher is a German former professional football goalkeeper.

Steffen Peters is a German-born equestrian who competes for the United States in dressage. He has participated in four Olympic Games, winning a team bronze medal on two occasions. Peters has been successful in numerous other international competitions, including winning team bronze at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, two individual bronze medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and individual and team gold medals at both 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games. The horse upon which he won many of his titles, Ravel, was retired in 2012. After 2012, his international successes came on Legolas. At the beginning of 2017, Peters handed over the ride on Legolas to his assistant rider Dawn White-O'Connor. Peters is currently working with a new international competition horse, Rosamunde.

Frank Mertens, is a German musician. He is a former member of the German synth-pop group Alphaville. Personality wise, he was a shy and quiet person who doesn't like to talk.

Hellmut Heinz Krug is a retired German football referee. Krug officialed both the 1994 World Cup and the Euro 96. In 1998, he refereed the Champions League final between Real Madrid-Juventus and 2000 UEFA Cup Galatasaray-Leeds United semi final first leg match. He also refereed two UEFA European Football Championship tournaments in 1992 and in 1996.

Jonathan Rommelmann is a German rower.

Carsten Brosda is a German politician (SPD). Since February 2017 he has been Senator and head of the Hamburg Authority for Culture and Media in the Senates Scholz II and Tschentscher.

Oliver Ortmann is a German professional pool player from Gelsenkirchen. Ortmann is a three-time world champion, winning the 1995 WPA World Nine-ball Championship and both the 2007 and 2010 Straight pool world championships. Ortmann is the second player to win three world championships. With fourteen wins, he is one of the most successful players at the European Pool Championships. Ortmann is the second to Ralf Souquet on the Euro Tour, winning fourteen events. Ortmann was the first player from Europe to win the U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship, in 1989.

Harald Grohs is a race driver and team owner from Essen, Germany.