Austrian construction billionaire, Richard Lugner dies aged 91, weeks after marrying 6th wife, actress, Simone Reilaender as tycoon leaves behind colorful and controversial legacy along with being the pioneer behind the Vienna Opera Ball. Had experienced recent sickness including ruptured heart valve last month…
Austrian billionaire, Richard ‘Moortel’ Lugner has passed away at age 91, just weeks after the self made tycoon — who dated a bevy of celebrity femme fatales and recently marrying his sixth wife — suffering a serious physical illness.
The construction tycoon and socialite, who made headlines for bringing the world’s VIPs to Vienna’s famous Opera Ball, passed away in his Viennese villa on Monday, Austrian media reported.
The tycoon’s death comes barely two months after Lugner marrying his sixth wife, 42-year-old actress Simone ‘Biene’ Reilaender. At the time of the couple’s marriage, Lugner was 49 years the actress’s senior.
Austrian tycoon thrived off controversy
In 2016, a then 81 year old Lugner married Playboy model Cathy Schmitz, 24– the pair had a 57-year age gap. Perhaps not surprisingly, the tycoon’s fifth marriage was short lived.
Extolled the billionaire following his most recent marriage to wife number 6:
‘This is certainly a wonderful woman I am marrying. We get along, she is great in her career, fits into my Lugner City, makes my garden, which was a wilderness, beautiful again. I can’t complain about her at all. We understand each other best.’
Lugner along with being known as an industrious business man (more below), was perhaps best known for building the Lugner City mall in Vienna in the 1990s – along with the cache of celebrity friends he kept along with allegations of risque behavior (which he seemingly revelled in).
Lugner reportedly paid six-figure significant sums to stars like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton to be on his arm at the Opera Ball.
Richard Lugner heiratet zum sechsten Mal:
Der österreichische Bauunternehmer Richard Lugner (91) hat zum sechsten Mal geheiratet,
im Rathaus von Wien gaben sich Er und seine Braut Simone Reiländer (42) am Samstag 01. Juni das Ja-Wort… pic.twitter.com/0NIAXl2lCn— BREAKING NEWS (@Video_Base) June 2, 2024
Austrian tycoon construction rise to fame
Lugner had four children: Alexander and Andreas Lugner, from his first marriage with Christina Gmeiner from 1961 to 1978, Nadine Jeannine Cutter from his relationship with actress Sonja Jeannine,and Jacqueline Lugner, who was born in 1993, from his fourth marriage to Christina Lugner.
Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer on X hailed the ‘successful’ construction magnate as a ‘vibrant… Austrian original’ who stayed ‘true to himself’.
Born in Vienna on October 11, 1932, Lugner was an Austrian entrepreneur in the construction industry, a Viennese society figure, and a former political candidate not affiliated with any of the Austrian political parties
Lugner rode to acclaim in the construction business by focusing on small-scale projects amid the 1960s building boom, according to APA news agency.
In 1975, Lugner landed his first major coup, when he was commissioned to build the Vienna Islamic Centre, Austria’s first and biggest mosque.
More than a decade later, he built his eponymous ‘Lugner City’ shopping centre.
The eccentric 91-year-old was an integral part of Vienna’s high society, with Lugner frequently dominating the headlines, including criticism he faced over his sexist comments.
Vienna Opera Ball glamor
Courting infamy and risque intrigue, Lugner had been inviting the world’s celebrities to the famous Vienna Opera Ball since 1992, most recently bringing Priscilla Presley to the event and dancing the night away with the former wife of Elvis Presley.
Former guests of Lugner include celebrities like Sophia Loren, Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton, Jane Fonda – who attended last year’s event -, Sarah Ferguson, Geri Halliwell and Joan Collins.
American actress Fonda said she accepted the Austrian building tycoon’s invitation to attend the Vienna Opera Ball because he offered to ‘pay me quite a bit of money.’
Yes kids, these are the perk$ of fame and celebrity!
While the amount the tycoon paid his guests of honour has mostly remained a closely guarded secret, Lugner shrewdly seized on the opportunity to promote his brand and made sure to invite at least one star per year to the ball.
One of the star guests Lugner invited to the Opera Ball was Kim Kardashian, who he famously called ‘annoying’ after she and her mother Kris Jenner attended as his double date to the bash in 2014.
Kim claimed she fled the event because she was reportedly offended following a reported racial slur from a guest.
After the ball, Lugner – nicknamed Concrete due to his roots in the building trade -claimed the star would not dance with him despite being paid a whopping $500,000.
The reality star would later claim feeling intimidated and suffering anxiety.
The episode led to Lugner decrying ‘Kardashian as being a bixch!’
Recent health problems and preparations for eventual death
Lugner has been married six times, with the ups and downs of his turbulent love life being regularly reported on as he was keen to open up about it.
During the late 1990s, Lugner first dabbled in politics, winning almost 10 percent of the presidential vote in 1998.
In 2016, he ran for president for a second time, but finished last, securing just over two percent.
Last month Lugner was treated for a ruptured heart valve at the Vienna General Hospital and was reportedly suffering several health problems recently.
In June, he was rushed to hospital with crippling back pain but brushed the incident aside, saying it was caused by a tough bike workout.
Cognizant that he was on a twilight timetable, Lugner previously conceded to having already made funeral arrangements, including his gravestone ordered.
Said Lugner at the time: ‘I wanted to have everything arranged. My heirs should know what to do.’
It remained unclear how much wife number 6 would seek to inherit following the recent death of her multi-billionaire husband…
