Gusenbauer in focus: shadow of the Signa bankruptcy and million dollars!

Gusenbauer in focus: shadow of the Signa bankruptcy and million dollars!

In the turbulent world of Signa Holding, which is considered the largest privately kept real estate company in Austria, a huge scandal draws its circles. The company founder René Benko, in custody since January 23, 2025, is faced with serious allegations. Among other things, these include the suspicion of fraud and money laundering, which have arisen as part of the Signa Holding, which has been explained in the meantime. As the Kronen Zeitung , Benko is said to have tried to remove a total of 35.35 million euros from his dilapidated group through a dangerous money carousel.

important testimonies and invoices

A central player in this drama is Alfred Gusenbauer, the former Austrian Chancellor. This had to answer to the investigators of the SOKO Signa and denied that he had been involved in operational decisions. He stated that he had no information in the planned capital increase. Nevertheless, it comes to light that Gusenbauer the Signa Holding made an invoice for three million euros for strategic advisory services shortly before the bankruptcy of his advisory company. According to the investigation, it turned out that an additional invoice for 300,000 euros was recently sent to the holding, which raised questions about the transparency and use of funds, while the situation of the Signa deteriorated.

The Signa Holding, which was founded in 2000 by René Benko, was a leading force in the European real estate market for many years. Their bankruptcy at the end of November 2023, triggered by high debt load of over 10.3 billion euros, led to a massive decline in the company's value and a potential loss of thousands of jobs across Europe. The Wikipedia page to Signa Holding illustrates that the company owned over 14 billion euros in assets and essential real estate in several European capitals. Now the doors are wide open for the liquidation of many of the valuable objects.