Who was Richard Lugner married to? All about his wife and kids as billionaire dies at 91, days after marrying 6th wife

Well-known entrepreneur Richard Lugner, 91, unexpectedly passed away on August 12, 2024. While the cause of death is not confirmed yet, Agence France-Presse revealed that Lugner was struggling with some health issues in the last few months and had to undergo surgery for the same.

The news comes around two months after Richard's marriage to Simone Reilander in June this year. Notably, this was his sixth marriage. His previous five marriages ended up in divorce.

Richard Lugner died at his Vienna-based villa, and social media platforms were flooded with tributes when the news of his demise became public. While emergency services were immediately called to his villa, they failed to revive him. Further updates are currently awaited on the circumstances leading to his demise.

Lugner's health problems date back to 2016, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In an interview with Die Presse around two years later, he said that he was lucky since the diagnosis was revealed in the early stages. He also stated that the radiation therapy left an impact on his immune system.

Furthermore, he was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021, and while speaking to Kurier, Richard said that a tissue sample from his forehead was taken by his doctor for examination. He said that the tests determined it to be basal cell carcinoma, and he addressed the same by adding that the cancer is "common in older men."

Richard Lugner was taken to the hospital this year for heart surgery, and he confirmed the same through a WhatsApp message. He said that his heart valve became bigger and added:

"The operation was then carried out immediately using the clip method via the vein, which is used to perform heart surgery through the skin instead of cutting open the body."

---

Richard Lugner has four children from his past marriages: Personal life and other details explained

The Vienna, Austria native managed to build a successful career in the world of business over the years. He even contested for the Austrian presidential elections twice and was in the headlines for being accompanied by popular faces such as Kim Kardashian to different events.

His first two children, Alexander and Andreas, were born from his first marriage to Christine Gmeiner. He became the father of a daughter named Jacqueline after he got married to Christina Lugner in 1990. He was also romantically linked to actress Sonja Jeannine for some time and they had a child named Nadin.

Richard Lugner's second marriage was to Cornelia Laufersweiler from 1979 to 1983. He then tied the knot with Susanne Dietrich in 1984, which also led to divorce in 1989.

Before getting married to his current wife Simone, he married Cathy Schmitz in 2014, who is a former Playboy model. The duo were reportedly dating for seven months, and although Lugner was not ready for marriage after his divorce from Dietrich, his relationship with Schmitz forced him to change the decision.

Richard and Cathy separated in 2016, and an Austrian news website reported at the time that the duo did not have any kind of dispute before divorce. Notably, Lugner said that he was thankful for all the moments he shared with Cathy for two years.

Lugner got married to Simone Reilander on June 1. She addressed their relationship during an interview with Kurier in April this year. She praised Richard by saying:

"A successful man who represents something, who you can cling to, look up to and learn from. Men like that are very rare at a younger age these days."

---

Richard Lugner was active in the construction industry for a long time

Also known as Richard "Mortel" Lugner, he had a sibling named Roland among his family members. He was a child when his father, Richard Lugner Sr., passed away. Lugner Sr. served as a lieutenant colonel in Russia during the Second World War and was also a lawyer and property manager.

While his father's cause of death remains a mystery, Richard once appeared for an interview with MeinBezirk in 2016, saying that his father stopped writing letters to his family in 1943. He further stated:

"My mother put all of my father's letters in a drawer. I didn't read them until eleven years after her death."

Richard completed his graduation from the Federal Trade School for Building Construction. He soon launched his construction company that built a mosque in Austria, making them popular among the public. He then gained recognition for launching Lugner City, a shopping mall.

This was followed by the launch of a multiplex called Lugner Kino in 2005. The opening of the multiplex grabbed a lot of attention since it was attended by personalities such as Mayor Michael Haupl and former FPO parliamentary group leader Peter Westenthaler.

Apart from these, Richard Lugner was featured on a TV show titled Wir sind Kaiser. His family also appeared in another series called Die Lugners.