The next trial – Lauda inheritance dispute: two icy fronts in court

Gloomy mood at the Vienna Regional Court of Civil Affairs. In the dark corridor in front of room 9, the legal representatives will take part in the next act in the dispute about the legacy of Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda, ​​who died in 2019. The lawyers agreed on one thing: “No pictures!”

public was excluded
At the beginning of the trial, in which responsibility and time schedule were discussed, the trustee of the twins (13) from the marriage to Birgit requested that they be excluded from the public. But she has long been in the middle of the inheritance dispute, which also revolves around the size of the mandatory portions. “In practice, the right to a compulsory portion mitigates the undesirable consequences of a will,” explains expert Dr. Wendelin Moritz of the law firm Schneider & Schneider.

Widow is entitled to 16.6 percent mandatory portion
The compulsory inheritance is always half of the statutory inheritance quota. As a wife, Birgit Lauda is entitled under Austrian law to a mandatory share of 16.6 percent after she is not included in the will – which has not been paid out to date.

Assets in the hundreds of millions
The actors on the other hand: in addition to Lauda-Intimus and foundation lawyer Haig Asenbauer, these are the adult sons of the ex-driver from his marriage to Marlene Knaus. On the one hand, sports manager Lukas Lauda, ​​​​​​44, who used to look after the career of Mathias Lauda (42). The youngest of the brothers and ex-DTM driver now works as a Formula 1 expert at ServusTV. And Niki Lauda’s close friend, “Do & Co” head caterer Attila Dogudan, 63, also plays a central role as one of the foundation’s board members. The Lauda private foundation is said to have assets in the triple-digit millions range.