From golden bunny to designer chandelier: Benko's fillet pieces now go under the hammer
The auction of the first floor of the Cigna headquarters in Vienna offers a unique opportunity to glimpse the exotic world of a nouveau riche.
Cigna boss Rene Benko's office in Vienna's Palais Harrach. All furniture will be auctioned. 21,000 euros are offered for his desk (in the background).
Photo: Roland Schlager (APA)
The rabbit statue is about 20 centimeters tall and gilded. The manufacturer describes it as “one of our cheekiest designs”. The rabbit's protruding back has a hole into which you can throw coins. You could describe the sculpture as a “cash box”. But you can say: “The money is screwed.”
Perhaps René Benko was amused by this ambiguity. Or he wanted to enjoy the shine of the precious metal. Anyway, from his desk in his nearly hundred-square-meter office in Vienna's baroque Harag Palace, he could see not only a large photograph of New York's Chrysler Building and a cigar humidor, but also a golden rabbit.
A golden rabbit as a money box in René Benko's office. There was great interest, and the price at the auction rose from 9 to 700 euros.
Photo: Bernhard was expelled
300,000 euros per month rent
Thembi busi. A horde of journalists is now tromping the first floor of Cigna Holding's Vienna headquarters. The parent company of Benco's real estate and business empire has been in bankruptcy since last fall and is now auctioning the inventory on behalf of auction house Arena Liquidator. Out of a total of 3,306 lots, 2,000 were sold in the first auction. Now the fillet pieces go under the hammer. Luxurious chandeliers, small apartment-sized carpets, ceramic dishes with Cigna engravings, designer chairs, designer tables.
The house won't be auctioned, however, because that's one of the many absurdities in the Cigna story: At his peak, Bengo controlled one of Europe's biggest real estate companies. But only his main office was rented out. Cigna reportedly paid around 300,000 euros for three sites in the city of Vienna. per month.
Humidor in René Benko's office. Two former presidents, Sebastian Kurz and Alfred Kussenbauer, may have smoked cigars here.
Photo: Roland Schlager (APA)
This Wednesday afternoon, interested parties can inspect properties they have already bid on online. Demand was huge, and the volume of offers “exceeded our expectations,” says Jürgen Blematl of auction house Aurena, who led journalists through Benko's office and the entire first floor shortly before the public viewing date.
Benco's desk swivel chair model “Chancellor President” from the Poltrona Frau brand costs 4,000 euros and is currently 8,400 euros net. The nearly 4-meter-long Cigna founder's table is being auctioned for 21,500 euros. On the desk are a calculator, several Cigna notepads (18 bids, 45 euros) and three copies of the German “Manager Magazine”: “In the Record Rush of Billions”. Versions are due in 2021. They are obviously not for sale. Did Benko frequently leave the “List of 500 Richest Germans”? Looking for his name there?
Stairs to Benco office. Investors and politicians used to visit here, today only journalists and auction house staff. The designer chandelier is currently up for auction at 1200 euros.
Photo: Bernhard was expelled
A nearly hour-long tour of Benco's former headquarters plunges into a strange world of innovation, where literally everything that's expensive is good. Being attracted to Bengo was obviously a priority. The path to his office leads up the red carpet of a baroque grand staircase, past a large glass wall with the Cigna logo (32 orders, 320 euros), lit by a 78-flame designer chandelier, model “Nemo Crown Major” (12 orders, 1200 euros).
In these rooms, Benko held his South Tyrolean drinking and eating competition known as “Törgelen” before moving it to his nearby luxury hotel, the Park Hyatt (now for sale). Then-president Sebastian Kurz and former president and Cigna board member Alfred Gusenbauer also sat in an “Archibald Gran Comfort” designer lounge chair (30 bids, €3,400). Here Benko probably gave them expensive cigars from a mini humidor (46 bids, 2400 euros). Perhaps they had to put their cell phones in the wooden box next to Benko's desk (30 bids, 450 euros).
This globe was also for sale.
Photo: Roland Schlager (APA)
Now all traces of intrigue and male friendship are destroyed, because everything must go. Cigna Holding's assets on three sites were valued at a total of 2.8 million euros. Aurena Auctions did not want to disclose how much previous auctions have brought. Once the sale is complete, the liquidator will announce this.
The last auction will take place at the end of February, and “in mid-March we will hand over the rooms to the landlord for the last time,” says Jürgen Plemot. The auction house staff is not concerned that the items will not find buyers. An umbrella is already interesting, even with a cheap plastic umbrella. A clothes hanger with the Cigna logo and a wall hook costs 2 euros. Now it is 14 euros.
Coat hanger with Cigna logo and hook: The item cost 2 euros and is currently priced at 14 euros.
Photo: Bernhard was expelled
Only two paper shredders have no offer. On the other hand, the golden rabbit that is the money box in Benco's office is particularly popular. His starting price was 9 euros, after 39 bids his current price is 700 euros.
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