Career
As well as his banking interests von Stauss was also noted for his expertise in the petroleum industry, serving on the board of Deutsche Petroleum from 1920. He would continue his role at Daimler-Benz, eventually serving as chairman of the board. In 1926 he also became chairman of Bayerische Motoren Werke. As well as holding several meetings with Adolf Hitler he also knew Hermann Goering well and provided him with significant funding during the Nazi rise to power.
He had however been encouraged to retain his membership of the party by Goering, who felt he was more useful in that party, and tried to push the DVP more towards a pro-Nazi Party line in the run up to the Nazi takeover.
With the dissolution of the DVP in 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag again in 1933 and served as Vice-President of the body. He was however one of the few members never to take up formal membership of the Nazi Party, sitting as an independent.