Austrian billionaire Richard Lugner has passed away.
Lugner was discovered in his Vienna home on August 12.
He had been battling several health issues and had undergone surgical procedures in the months before his death.
In the time leading up to his passing, he married for the sixth time. On June 1, Lugner wed 42-year-old Simone Reiländer at Vienna City Hall.
Born in 1932 in Vienna, Lugner completed his basic education before graduating from the Federal Technical and Commercial College with a focus on building construction.
He initially worked for a construction company in Vienna, then earned his building contractor license and established his own business.
Lugner’s firm gained renown for constructing Vienna’s first mosque and the Stadttempel, the principal synagogue of the city.
In 1990, he opened his own shopping center, Lugner City, marking a significant achievement in his career.
To celebrate the opening, he invited American singer Harry Belafonte to the mall and later to the Vienna Opera Ball.
From that time forward, Lugner made it a tradition to invite a famous celebrity each year to visit Lugner City and then accompany him to the Ball.
Over the years, the celebrities he invited to Vienna have included Goldie Hawn, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner, Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda, and Priscilla Presley.
Following Lugner’s death, tributes have poured in, with Lugner City shopping center taking the lead on social media.
“Our Engineer Richard Lugner, our mortar and above all our beloved boss has unfortunately left us today,” read a post on Facebook yesterday.
“We can hardly put into words the pain we feel. The grief is indescribably great, but we want to reflect on all the beautiful and great times together. With a laughing and a crying eye we say goodbye to the great Richard Lugner, in our hearts he will stay forever!”
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer also commented on X: “Richard Lugner was a successful entrepreneur and a dazzling personality. An Austrian original who never lost his way. May he rest in peace!”
Another tribute noted: “Richard #Lugner was a genuine, original and cheerful personality. His commitment to the #WienerOpernball and his refreshing unconventionality will never be forgotten.”
Lugner leaves behind his four children: Jacqueline, Nadine, Alexander, and Andreas.