The inventory of the Benko villa on Lake Garda is now being auctioned off

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• The inventory of Villa Ansaldi goes under the hammer. The villa on Lake Garda used to be the residence of Signa founder René Benko.
• Kitchen equipment, sports and car collectibles as well as wine stocks will be auctioned off. Companies and private individuals can bid online.
• René Benko was arrested in January. He is accused of tax evasion, fraud and bankruptcy offenses.

Summary created with

The insolvency administrator of the insolvent Signa Group is selling the furniture and furnishings of Signa founder René Benko's Villa Ansaldi to the highest bidder.

The inventory of the villa in Simione on Lake Garda in Italy will be auctioned off, the auction house Aurena announced on Tuesday. According to media reports, the villa also served as Benko's residence.

"The object of the auction is the complete furnishing of the four-storey villa and the associated outdoor facilities as well as the ancillary properties on the property," explained the insolvency administrator. For example, the "kitchen areas" had "professional catering equipment". There are also "collector's items from the sports and automotive sectors" or "wine and spirits stocks" for sale.

Anyone can bid

According to the auction house, the auction is open to companies and private individuals. Anyone wishing to take part can register on the auction house's website and place bids there. On July 5, the exhibits can be viewed at Villa Ansaldi by prior appointment, and the bids will be accepted on July 14.

Benko was arrested in Innsbruck in January and has been in custody since then. The public prosecutor's office justified this with an "urgent suspicion" of several criminal offenses, such as tax offenses, bankruptcy offenses and fraud. Signa Holding filed for insolvency at the end of 2023.

The Austrian had amassed a fortune worth millions through the purchase of real estate. In addition to the Globus department store chain, Signa Holding also owned the luxury department store KaDeWe in Berlin and the famous Chrysler Building in New York.

The rapid rise was followed by an equally steep descent: high construction costs, rising interest rates on loans and home-grown problems brought the company into difficulties. It filed for insolvency at the end of November 2023, and in March 2024 Benko filed for personal insolvency.