René Benko
 René Benko    ( billionaire, businessman) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 20 May 1977 Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria |
| Nationality | Austria |
| Children | 4 |
| Spouse | Married |
Austrian well-connected billionaire businessman who attended the 2015-2017 Bilderbergs. Bankruptcy and fraud investigation in 2024. | |
René Benko is a bankrupt Austrian real estate, media and retail investor, and was the founder of the Signa Holding who attended the 2015-2017 Bilderbergs. The company was considered Austria's largest privately held real estate conglomerate.[1][2] Benko was considered one of the richest Austrians and had very good relations with leading politicians in Austria from all parties.[3][4][5] Numerous controversies have surrounded Benko’s professional career. In March 2024 Benko declared personal insolvency.[6]
In April 2024, the Liechtenstein public prosecutor's office has stated that criminal proceedings against Benko have been opened.[7] The Trent public prosecutor's office issued an arrest warrant against Benko in December 2024 and searched numerous offices and apartments. The authority has justified this with investigations in connection with real estate speculation in the Trentino region and the neighboring region of South Tyrol.[8]
On 23 January 2025, he was arrested. The Austrian Central Public Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Economic Crimes and Corruption (Wirtschafts- und Korruptionsstaatsanwaltschaft) said reasons are suspicion of fraud and corruption as well as the risk of obfuscation.[9][10][11]
Career
Benko was born in Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria as the son of a local government employee and nursery schoolteacher.[12] At the age of 17 he gained his first experience of the real estate sector in a building company owned by an acquaintance.[13]
At the end of 1999 Benko founded the two-person company Immofina Holding, which was renamed Signa Holding in 2006.[14] The company expanded rapidly.
In November 2018, the first investment in the media sector was announced through the acquisition of shares in the Austrian daily newspapers Kronen Zeitung and Kurier by Signa Holding.[15] In March 2019, Benko's Signa Holding, together with Aby Rosen, acquired the Chrysler Building in New York City for an estimated amount of $150 million. This was René Benko's first major investment in the United States.[16] In 2021, Signa acquired the British luxury department stores of Selfridges in a joint venture.[17]
Political network
Before his bankruptcy, Benko maintained an extensive network of contacts in Austrian politics of all stripes. Every year in November, he received Austrian political and economic celebrities from the Chancellor downwards at his thanksgiving parties. The airline founder Niki Lauda was a regular guest for many years. The guests included - using the example of the year 2018 – Chancellor Kurz, Vice Chancellor Strache, National Council President Sobotka, Former Chancellor Gusenbauer, former Vice Chancellor Riess, Ministers Blümel and Köstinger, Vienna Mayor Ludwig, City Councilor Sima, entrepreneurs Markus Friesacher, Klemens Hallmann, Marcel Haraszti, Günther Helm, Toni Mörwald, Christiane Wenckheim and Sigi Wolf, media maker Niki Fellner, Gery Keszler, Barbara Meier and DJ Ötzi.[18] He appointed Alfred Gusenbauer (former Austrian Chancellor/SPÖ) and Susanne Riess (former Austrian Vice-Chancellor/FPÖ) as members of the Signa Advisory Board. Sebastian Kurz (two-time ex-Chancellor /ÖVP), after whose political career he became on of Benko's closest advisers, opened for him, among other things, "the door to the world of sheikhs".[19] Both Gusenbauer and Kurz received millionss as board members from Signa Holding.
Marriage
Benko lives mainly in Innsbruck. He has married twice and has four children. Apart from that, little is known about Benko's private life.[20]
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/2015 | 11 June 2015 | 14 June 2015 | Austria Telfs-Buchen | The 63rd meeting, 128 Bilderbergers met in Austria |
| Bilderberg/2016 | 9 June 2016 | 12 June 2016 | Germany Dresden | The 2016 Bilderberg meeting took place in Dresden, Germany. |
| Bilderberg/2017 | 1 June 2017 | 4 June 2017 | US Virginia Chantilly | The 65th Bilderberg Meeting |
References
- ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/3500752Z:AV%7Caccess-date=2021-10-17
- ↑ https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/immobilien/immobilien-benkos-geldregen-signa-holding-meldet-ueberraschend-hohen-gewinn/27036708.html
- ↑ https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/weltwirtschaft/rene-benko-signa-politik-osterreich-100.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20190601070429/https://www.trend.at/wirtschaft/ranking-reichste-oesterreicher-10238309
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/profile/rene-benko/
- ↑ Signa Founder Benko Files for Personal Insolvency in Austria. Bloomberg, 7 Mar 2024
- ↑ Liechtenstein opens criminal proceedings against Benko, Kronen Zeitung, 11.04.2024
- ↑ https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/haftbefehl-benko-italien-100.html
- ↑ Signa-Gründer Benko in Österreich festgenommen
- ↑ orf.at: U-Haft über Benko verhängt
- ↑ www.justiz.gv.at: Untersuchungshaft über Rene BENKO verhängt (press release, 24 January 2025)
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/meet-the-other-man-who-bought-the-chrysler-building-11563879601
- ↑ https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/rene-benko-eigner-von-wolkenkratzern-kaufhaeusern-und-nun-auch-zeitungen-a-1238389.html
- ↑ https://www.fondsprofessionell.at/news/produkte/headline/immobilien-shootingstar-benko-aus-immofina-wird-signa-85725/
- ↑ https://orf.at/stories/3100448/
- ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-property-chryslerbuilding-idUSKBN1QQ009
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/15/selfridges-comes-under-full-control-of-thailands-central-group
- ↑ https://www.oe24.at/leute/oesterreich/prominenter-paarlauf-beim-toerggelen/356158129
- ↑ https://www.tt.com/artikel/30875177/langjaehriger-mitarbeiter-ueber-ren-benko-er-glaubte-er-kenne-sich-ueberall-aus
- ↑ https://www.diepresse.com/5453597/rene-benko-tiroler-selfmade-milliardar-mit-hang-zum-luxus
