Bodyguards, housekeepers, luxury vacations: confidential documents reveal the lifestyle of financial juggler René Benko.
On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., another hearing was held in the bankruptcy proceedings of entrepreneur René Benko in room 112 of the regional court in Innsbruck. Creditors registered another 400 million euros in claims last summer, the total now amounts to around 2.5 billion euros. But administrator Andreas Grabenweger has only recognized a fraction of that so far, namely: 47 million.
Interplay between luxury and ostentation
According to his bankruptcy filing of March 4, Benko wants a monthly income of only 3,700 euros. But how does he lead his life, which has been constantly alternating between luxury and ostentation for years?
Research by ‘Krone’ and ‘News’ now provides the first insight into the private expenses that Austria’s most famous bankrupt had for himself and his loved ones in 2023. In total, it amounts to just over twelve million euros. On average, that is around a million euros per month.
Lots of staff for the villas
In Innsbruck alone, the salaries of the staff amounted to 1.047 million euros last year. In addition, there are 451,442 euros in additional wage costs. The bodyguards who still surround the 47-year-old Tyrolean cost a whopping 150,086 euros and 40 cents for the months of November and December 2023; Before the collapse of the corporate conglomerate, the guards were paid by the Signa Group.
For the 1,000 square meter penthouse on the Viennese Fleischmarkt, 361,945 euros had to be spent, and for the villa on the Hungerburg in Innsbruck 525,852 euros. The monthly rent for the villa in Innsbruck Igls, worth 86 million euros, which was combed through by researchers from Soko Signa at the end of June, is reportedly 161,717.80 euros per month. For the property on the Hungerburg, after an advance rent payment (360,000 euros), a rent exemption applies until September 30, 2024.
What is also striking in the confidential statements are donations to the woman: two million euros under the title ‘Equity for a real estate investment’ on January 27, 2023, another 150,000 for the ‘purchase of the horse Cayo’ on April 26, 2023. .
Under ‘Miscellaneous payments’ 2023 you will find items such as ‘Chanel’ (225,160 euros) or expenses at a well-known Viennese gun shop (69,000 euros). Last year, a total of 1.884 million euros was spent on the use of the 62-meter yacht, the Chalet N in Oberlech and bookings with various on-demand airlines (private jets, helicopters).
As is known, Benko’s legal representatives can earn a lot of money: 255,081.74 euros went in 2023 from the real estate speculator to Arnold Rechtsanwälte, the in-house and legal law firm of Signa and its inventor for many years.
Sale of Fabios shares
How much did financial juggler Benko earn in 2023? According to the secret documents, monthly salary payments from Signa amounting to 34,924.26 euros flowed into Benko’s Bawag account until October 2023. In June, the holiday pay of 87,934 euros was paid out. In addition, there are consulting fees totaling 1.15 million euros, which were transferred between January and March by four Signa companies (Development, Prime, Prime Holding and Financial Services).
In September 2023, Benko transferred his share in the Viennese noble Italian Fabios for 650,000 euros to his private foundation Laura, with which he officially no longer wants to have anything to do. His long-time private pilot now serves as a board member of the foundation at Laura.
Four loans from mother
According to the documents, a total of 6.15 million euros flowed from the Laura Private Foundation to a private Benko account in 2023. Four loans worth more than three million that Ingeborg Benko granted to her son between November 24 and December 18 seem striking.
Incidentally, his mother has not filed any claims in René Benko’s personal bankruptcy proceedings. The trustee would have denied this anyway, he explained when asked. According to research by ‘Krone’ and ‘News’, the retired nursery teacher has been paying bills for personal protection of bankrupt people since 2024: more than 40,000 to 50,000 euros per month.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
