From Toilet Brush to Guestbook: A Peek into Benko's Opulent Villa's Goods, Up for Grabs
Luxury villa belonging to Benkos, situated on Lake Garda, is set for sale at auction
Get ready to step into the lavish world of René Benko, the embattled real estate mogul who's currently behind bars. Up for grabs is the inventory of his luxury villa nestled on the shores of Lake Garda, thanks to the insolvency administrator. Yet, the villa itself remains inaccessible.
Villa Ansaldi, a testament to Benko's former glory, offers a tantalizing glimpse into the extravagant lifestyle of the corporate bigwig. From wine and gourmet menus to guest robes and slippers, the villa's inventory boasts an array of opulent items, including a helicopter landing pad, yacht mooring, and numerous outbuildings. Celebrities like Tina Turner, Niki Lauda, and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have left their personal messages in the villa's guestbook. The villa, once a corporate representation, played host to Benko's extravagant 40th birthday bash, which reportedly cost half a million euros.
Benko's empire, Signa Group, crumbled in November 2023, marking the largest insolvency in Austrian history. Since January 2025, Benko has been in custody, facing accusations of fraud, insolvency offenses, and tax evasions. Signa's creditors are pressing for billions from him.
To cover a fraction of these claims, the insolvency administrator of the Signa Group is auctioning off the entire inventory of Villa Ansaldi. Items up for bid range from personal trinkets like the celebrity-signed guestbook to mundane objects like used cookware, doormats, and toilet brushes. Low-priced items such as old landline phones with starting bids of one euro are also included, as well as high-ticket items like designer furniture with starting prices of several thousand euros.
Villa's Ownership Under the Radar
The villa's operation is evident with its professional catering equipment, the extensive fitness studio inventory, and numerous office furniture. Those in need of a riding lawnmower can find one, as well as someone looking for a mobile tank with approximately 450 liters of helicopter fuel. An extensive wine collection is also up for grabs.
Interested bidders can place their bids online on the Austrian auction house Aurena's website. On July 5, registered bidders can view the items in person at Lake Garda. The auction concludes on July 14.
Despite hundreds of items up for auction, the villa itself remains out of reach. Unlike the inventory, the villa is not owned by the Signa group or René Benko. Officially, the insolvent company is merely a tenant paying 240,000 euros in yearly rent to a Luxembourg company, whose owner remains unknown to the public. Austrian media speculate that this unknown Luxembourg company is one of Benko's foundations, designed to safeguard substantial parts of his fortune from creditor's grasp.
[Sources]1. ntv.de2. mbo3. (Additional insight: Information gathered through background research on villa's potential ownership, including yacht and jet models and a monogrammed silver cigar holder, suggests that the villa might be a means for Benko to conceal substantial assets from creditors. However, this information is not directly provided in the available sources and should be treated as speculative.)
The insolvency administrator is auctioning off employment policies, possibly used by the staff at Villa Ansaldi, as part of the entire inventory up for grabs. Sports enthusiasts might find the jet skis among the items up for bid, offering an opportunity to combine luxury with their favorite pastime.
