Richard Lugner, an Austrian billionaire known for bringing celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Pamela Anderson to the Vienna Opera Ball, has died at 91. According to People, he died at his villa in Vienna on Monday, just two months after marrying his sixth wife, Simone Reilander. Emergency services rushed to his home but were unable to revive him.
As per AFP, Mr Lugner had been battling various health issues and underwent surgery in recent months. Despite his health challenges, he still managed to attend the prestigious Vienna Opera Ball in February with Priscilla Presley, ex-wife of Elvis Presley.
Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer paid a touching tribute to him on X and wrote, ''Richard Lugner was a successful entrepreneur and a dazzling personality. An Austrian original who never lost his way. May he rest in peace!''
Richard Lugner war ein erfolgreicher Unternehmer und eine schillernde Persönlichkeit. Ein österreichisches Original, das sich nie verbogen hat. Er ruhe in Frieden! pic.twitter.com/tqp6Zau9fJ
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) August 12, 2024
Who was Richard Lugner?
Mr Lugner was a successful Austrian entrepreneur who built his fortune in construction and real estate and was also known for his flashy lifestyle and celebrity connections. Mr Lugner's celebrity guests included the likes of Joan Collins, Jane Fonda, Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, among others.
One of his most enduring legacies is the iconic Lugner City shopping centre in Vienna, which he built in 1990. The complex shared a touching tribute to its founder on Facebook, referring to him as ''our mortar and above all our beloved boss.''
The billionaire also harboured political ambitions and ran twice in the Austrian presidential elections as an independent candidate, once in 1998 and again in 2016, as per Euro News.
Notably, his death came just two months after his marriage to Simone Reilander, 42. The couple exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at Vienna City Hall on June 1, surrounded by close friends and family. At the wedding, Mr Lugner declared, "It will be the last marriage,'' People reported, quoting a local media report.
He was previously married to Christine Gmeiner (1961-1978), Cornelia Laufersweiler (1979-1983), Susanne Dietrich (1984-1989), Christina Lugner (1990-2007), as well as Playboy model and actress Cathy Schmitz (2014-2016).
He leaves behind four children from his previous marriages.
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