Volkswagen CEO apologizes for evoking Auschwitz slogan at company meeting

FOX NEWS - The chief executive of Volkswagen has apologized for evoking the infamous slogan that appears at the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp when speaking about the German company's profits at a meeting on Tuesday.

CEO Herbert Diess said he should not have uttered "Ebit macht frei," a phrase echoing "Arbeit Macht Frei", which means "work sets you free" and is synonymous with the camp. Ebit is an acronym for "earnings before interest and taxes".

Diess issued a statement calling his use of the phrase "definitely an unfortunate choice of words," according to the BBC.

"At no time was it my intention for this statement to be placed in a false context. At the time, I simply did not think of this possibility."

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