On February 3, 2000, Vodafone Airtouch and Mannesmann planned a merger. After long resistance, the acquisition of the successful Mannesmann Group was agreed upon for an astronomically high price of 180 billion euros. Success was indeed in its DNA and is the common thread in the book "Mannesmann Went Ahead" by the author Joachim Rauhut, a former member of the Mannesmann board. Starting from the post-war economic miracle, he describes the managers with their strategies of diversification away from the original focus on steel and pipes into mechanical engineering, automotive technology, and telecommunications, highlighting key success factors. In competition with other companies, the "ahead" is illustrated through smarter steps and better acquisitions, revealing some secrets along the way. The comparison and interactions with the mining companies Hoesch, Krupp, and Thyssen are particularly enlightening. In the end, the author shares his own experiences and new details about the ever-increasing value of the Mannesmann Group and the failed defense against the acquirer Vodafone. His report is also explosive in explaining why and how the continuation of the strong Mannesmann industrial sector was prevented.