Václav Klement (16 October 1868 – 13 August 1938) was a Czech entrepreneur, industrialist and automotive pioneer. He, along with Václav Laurin, founded automobile manufacturer Laurin & Klement that later became Škoda Auto, the largest Czech company.
Early life
Klement was born on 16 October 1868 in Velvary. He had an unhappy childhood. His mother died when he was young, and he was raised by his stepmother. From the age of 14 he worked manual jobs, but was also a good student, and became an apprentice in a bookshop in the town of Slaný while finishing his secondary studies.[1]
After some time working in Prague, Klement moved to Mladá Boleslav, where he worked in another bookshop. When the owner of the bookshop died Klement bought it, but the business did not prosper and Klement had to sell the bookshop to pay off his debts.[1]