Was an avid smoker and even refused to appear on TV shows if he was not allowed to do so in the studio.
Despite having been an avid smoker, Schmidt holds the record for the longest living German Chancellor. By age, he even outlived former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who was a life long non-smoker, by five years.
He hardly drank any alcohol but a lot of Coca Cola, allegedly with added sugar cubes.
Has never had a speech coach.
Met Loki Schmidt when he was 10. They were classmates at the coeducational Lichtwarkschule.