Richard Lugner — Austrian billionaire who paid A-listers to be arm candy — dead at 91
Billionaire businessman Richard Lugner — who was known for paying celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Pamela Anderson hundreds of thousands of dollars to be his plus one to lavish events — died on Monday. He was 91.
The Austrian entrepreneur, who married his sixth wife, Simone Reiländer, just two months ago, reportedly passed away at his villa in Vienna, according to multiple outlets.
First responders rushed to Lugner’s home on Monday but were unable to revive him, The Sun reports.
Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer mourned Lugner with a touching tribute on Monday, writing on X in a message translated from German to English, “Richard Lugner was a successful entrepreneur and a dazzling personality. An Austrian original who never lost his way. May he rest in peace!”
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The late construction tycoon tied the knot with Reiländer, 42, at Vienna City Hall in June. The couple, who had a 49-year age gap, said “I do” in front of 50 guests and 30 members of the press.
The “House Party” actress alluded to her sex life with Lugner, telling local media after their wedding that they “had a very long wedding night. Longer than the wedding day.”
Lugner was reportedly hospitalized shortly after their nuptials after experiencing crippling back pain, The Sun reported on June 21. He blamed the injury on his exercise bike and had to get daily numbing injections from a pain therapy specialist.
His health continued to decline on July 12 when he was rushed to the Vienna General Hospital due to a ruptured heart valve.
After the health scare, Lugner revealed that his funeral arrangements had been planned and his tombstone was already ordered.
“I wanted to have everything arranged. My heirs should know what to do,” he told reporters at the time.
Lugner recently revealed that Reiländer had fully taken over his business operations.
“My wife wears the pants now. She should support me actively. From now on, we will share my work,” he said, calling her the “sole boss” of his empire.
Lugner’s career took off after he opened Lugner City, the seventh-largest shopping center in Austria, in 1990 and continued to expand his business from there. He also attempted to run for Austrian president in 1998 and again in 2016.
The high society figure was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 and underwent radiotherapy to beat the illness in 2017.
Three years later, he was diagnosed with skin cancer and after removing it through surgery, his cancer returned in 2021, leading to another surgical removal.
The eccentric socialite was known for hosting his annual Vienna Opera Ball since 1992. The starry event attracted celebrity guests, many of whom he paid to attend, including Priscilla Presley, Sophia Loren, and Paris Hilton.
Lugner shelled out thousands of dollars for beautiful women to be his date at the yearly soirée. He paid Kardashian $500,000 to be his 2014 date and $150,000 for Lindsay Lohan to accompany him in 2010.
Lugner, who previously went on a “date” with Kardashian, was married to Christine Gmeiner from 1961 to 1978, Cornelia Laufersweiler from 1979 to 1983, Susanne Dietrich from 1984 to 1989, Christina Lugner from 1990 to 2007, and Cathy Schmitz from 2014 to 2016.
He is survived by four children from three previous relationships: Alexander, Andreas, Nadin and Jacqueline.
