mountaineer Reinhold Messner - The family broke apart due to inheritance dispute
Legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner (79) found open words in a new interview for a family inheritance dispute. In an interview with "Apotheke Umschau," the South Tyrolean, who was the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, spoke of "private setbacks" that he could have waived. Specifically asked about his children, the 79-year-old then revealed: "Our relationship is strained. One of my biggest mistakes was: I left them most of my assets in my will before my death."
Reinhold Messner: "The Family Broke Apart in that Moment"
Messner himself, according to him, had not inherited anything from his parents. He was "happy" about that. "There was nothing there but respect and gratitude." However, things would have gone differently with his inheritance. "For me, it's the reverse. In the moment I distributed my material inheritance to my children and wife, the family broke apart," the world-renowned alpinist explained. "The question of who got more was in the foreground, and I was at the precipice at 75."
His children, according to Messner, would not understand that he had made them a generous gift. Nevertheless, he wished for an improvement of the relationship in the future.
Great Love at Middle Age
Messner also revealed in the interview how he met his current wife Diane Messner (44). "Diane attended one of my lectures in South Tyrol in the summer of 2018 [...]. She wanted to take a selfie with me and we started talking. I asked her for her number [...]. The next day, I called Diane and arranged to have dinner with her."
However, it was not love at first sight. "We got to know each other gradually," Messner said. He was also honest with her from the start, and told her "what she was getting into, what she needed to know about me and my life."
"It's my great fortune to have a charming woman by my side in my later years," the mountaineering legend said about the late bloom of love.
- The inheritance dispute between Reinhold Messner and his children has caused significant strain in their relationship, as Messner had previously designated the majority of his assets to them in his will.
- During the interview with "Apotheke Umschau," Reinhold Messner revealed that distributing his inheritance to his children and wife was the moment when the family broke apart.
- Messner's children, according to him, struggle to understand his generous gift, but he expresses hope for an improvement in their relationship in the future.
- Reinhold Messner met his current wife Diane Messner at one of his lectures in South Tyrol, and although it wasn't love at first sight, they gradually got to know each other and formed a connection.
- In the face of criticism and potential inheritance disputes, Reinhold Messner is grateful for the support and companionship of his wife, Diane Messner, in his later years.
