Richard Lugner, Austrian Tycoon and Society Figure, Dies at 91

Richard Lugner, Austrian Tycoon and Society Figure, Dies at 91

Richard Lugner, APA/MAX SLOVENCIK/MAX SLOVENCIK

 

Austrian construction tycoon and society figure Richard Lugner has died at the age of 91.

Lugner had been battling health problems in recent months.

A flamboyant personality, Lugner was rarely out of the public eye. He became known for bringing high-profile celebrity guests to the annual Opera Ball in Vienna, including Jane Fonda, Ornella Muti and Goldie Hawn, and even ran for the Austrian presidency twice, in 1998 and 2016.

Lugner cemented his status as an establishment figure when he built the “Lugner City” shopping and cinema complex on Vienna’s Gürtel inner-city ring road in 1990.

Born on 11 October 1932 in Vienna, Richard Lugner quickly entered the construction industry after completing his school-leaving exams in 1953. He soon demonstrated his business acumen, specialising in smaller building sites during the construction boom of the 1960s, while larger companies focused on major contracts. His first big success came in 1975 when he was commissioned by Saudi Arabian King Faisal ibn al-Aziz to build the Vienna Mosque in the 21st district (Floridsdorf), the first of its kind in Austria.

Then came “Lugner City”. At the time, it was the seventh largest shopping centre in Austria.

Privately, Lugner was married six times and was often surrounded by young, publicity-seeking women, whom he gave animal-themed nicknames. His most famous wife was Christina “Mausi” (Little Mouse) Lugner, whom he married in July 1991. The couple divorced in August 2007 after many public appearances together. In June 2024, Lugner married for the sixth time, his bride being Simone Reiländer, known as “Bienchen” (Little Bee).

Lugner is survived by four children, who have largely avoided publicity.

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