René Benko, the once-celebrated founder of the now-collapsed Signa property group, is under investigation by Austria’s anti-corruption prosecutors for alleged fraud involving a bank loan. This marks the first instance of Benko, a former billionaire, being personally targeted by legal authorities since his business empire’s dramatic fall at the end of 2023. The collapse of Signa has left a significant financial void, with billions owed to shareholders and creditors spread across Europe.
The investigation, confirmed by a spokesperson for the Austrian state prosecutor for Economic Crime and Corruption (WKStA), centers on a loan extended by an Austrian private bank to Signa during the summer of 2023. Authorities suspect that at the time of securing the loan, Benko was fully aware of Signa’s precarious financial condition but may have misrepresented the company’s health to the bank. This loan was notably secured with shares in various Signa Group entities.
Read our reports about Rene Benko here on FinTelegram.
Further complications have arisen as additional legal scrutiny surfaces from neighboring Liechtenstein—a known hub for offshore wealth—where a preliminary investigation into possible “fraudulent bankruptcy” concerning Benko’s assets, held in two opaque foundations, has been initiated.
Norbert Wess, Benko’s lawyer, has stated that his client is aware of the investigations and denies all allegations. However, no formal charges have yet been brought against him. The probe into this loan is just one among several inquiries relating to Signa that the WKStA is currently pursuing.
This case has drawn the attention of major financial stakeholders, including banks and institutional lenders like the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, which have started legal proceedings to attempt recovery of their funds. Recent developments indicate that creditors to Signa’s principal entities, Signa Development and Signa Prime, might only recoup a fraction of their investments.
At its zenith, Signa boasted a lavish property portfolio including iconic locations such as Selfridges in London, KaDeWe in Berlin, and the Chrysler Building in New York. Benko, who claimed a real estate empire second only to that of the British monarchy, managed this vast network of over 1,000 corporate entities, marked by high leverage and intricate cross-shareholdings.
Now, with over 70% of Signa’s debt likely unrecoverable, the complex and highly leveraged financial structure of the group is under a microscope. Although Benko never held a formal title within the group, he acted as its de facto chief executive and was among the few who fully understood its financial intricacies.
FinTelegram, having previously issued warnings regarding Signa’s operations, continues to follow these developments closely, underscoring the importance of transparency and integrity in corporate governance.
