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Louise Thomas
Editor
Billionaire Richard Lugner has died aged 91, only two months after he married his sixth wife, Simone Reiländer.
The Austrian entrepreneur died at his villa in Vienna on Monday, August 12, according to Agence France-Presse. Reports from theUS Sun claimed that emergency services were unable to revive Lugner after rushing to his home on Monday. Lugner has also reportedly experienced some health issues over the last few months, including being admitted to the hospital for a ruptured heart valve in July, according tothe US Sun.
Lugner was known for bringing many celebrities – including Kim Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, and Goldie Hawn – to the famous Vienna Opera Balls over the years. On social media, several famous figures shared tributes for the billionaire after his death.
On X (formerly Twitter), Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer shared a photo of himself with Lunger and the billionaire’s plus one, Priscilla Presley, at the ball in February 2024. In his tribute, translated from German to English, Nehammer wrote: “Richard Lugner was a successful entrepreneur and a dazzling personality. An Austrian original who never lost his way. May he rest in peace!”
Reiländer, who married Lugner in June, also took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute alongside a colorful painting of her late husband. “You were the dream of my life. And when I saw you shine at the sight of me, then I knew that I was yours too. In love,” she wrote in the caption, which was translated from German to English.
The businessman, who famously got his start in the construction industry, tied the knot with the 42-year-old at Vienna City Hall in front of 50 guests. Prior to Reiländer, Lugner was married five times. He was married to Christine Gmeiner from 1961 to 1978, and they had two sons: Alexander and Andreas. Lugner was also married to Cornelia Laufersweiler for four years, before he got remarried to Susanne Dietrich in 1984.
Following Lugner and Dietrich’s split in 1989, he tied the knot one year later with Christina Lugner. They welcomed their daughter, Jacqueline, in 1993 and divorced in 2007. From 2014 to 2016, Lugner was married to Playboy model Cathy Schmitz. The billionaire also welcomed a child, Nadine, in 1985 from his previous relationship with Sonja Jeannine.
In 1990, Lugner shot to fame after building Lugner City, the seventh largest shopping center in Austria at the time. Shortly after their wedding, Reiländer shared her plans to support her husband by working on his Vienna shopping empire.
Speaking to Bild in June, Lugner acknowledged that his wife would be taking over his business one day. “She should support me actively. From now on we will share my work,” he said. “At some point, when I am no longer here, she will be the sole boss. But at the moment I am still among the living.”
Lugner detailed his wife’s work responsibilities, which included managing the company’s 80 employees, “collecting money and creating TikTok videos” with her husband. “My wife is in charge now,” he said, before Reiländer added: “Richard said to me, ‘I’m the boss and you’re the boss now.’”
Wile his wife was taking over as CEO of his company, that didn’t mean that other family members wouldn’t be involved in the business. “First of all, there is enough to do for everyone. And I am supposed to be relieved of some of the workload. My son Alexander takes care of the construction issues and my daughter Jacqueline takes care of the cinema,” Lugner added.
