- Austrian society lion Richard Lugner died at 91
Austrian businessman Richard Lugner has passed away. The native Viennese died on Monday at the age of 91, family circles confirmed to the German Press Agency. Lugner became known for his media-savvy appearances at the Vienna Opera Ball, accompanied by stars from Hollywood.
Just last June, Lugner married for the sixth time - this time, like his previous marriages, to a woman decades younger than him, Simone Reiländer (42). However, he had been facing some health issues lately. In July, he underwent heart surgery. Last week, he posted a video on Facebook, promoting a piercing studio in his shopping center, standing on crutches and accompanied by his wife.
Lugner celebrated his participation in the Vienna Opera Ball for more than 30 years, always with a famous companion. This year, he had engaged Elvis Presley's widow, Priscilla Presley, and in 2023, it was American actress Jane Fonda.
Successful construction entrepreneur
Less known is the serious side of his life. In Vienna, he was very successful as a construction entrepreneur in the 1960s, especially in the revitalization of old buildings. In 1975, he received an order to build a mosque in Vienna. His construction company had over 600 employees at its peak.
In 1990, he opened his shopping center "Lugner City" in Vienna with over 100 stores. The promotion of "Lugner City" was the economic reason behind his proximity to Hollywood, which is why the stars he invited for the Opera Ball had to give press conferences and autograph sessions there.
Ventures into politics
Lugner, who repeatedly advocated for shops to open on Sundays, ventured into politics twice: in 1998 and 2016, he ran for the office of Federal President.
In 1998, he achieved a respectable result of almost ten percent of the votes, but in 2016, he could hardly convince any voters. In the end, only 2.3 percent voted for him. In fact, he only ran for president at the insistence of his young wife.
However, Lugner was best known to Austrians as a TV star. From 2003 onwards, "Mörtel" revealed his private life in around 100 episodes of the reality soap "The Lugners" on private television (ATV).
Despite his political endeavors, Lugner gained the most attention as a TV personality. From 2003, his private life was featured in over 100 episodes of the reality soap "The Lugners" on private television (ATV), offering viewers a unique insight into his life. Furthermore, Lugner utilized his fame from the Opera Ball to promote his shopping center "Lugner City," often inviting Hollywood stars for press conferences and autograph sessions.
