公司申请破产，欧洲地产大亨的财富可能一夜归零
ELEANOR PRINGLE
2023-12-07
图片来源：FRANZISKA KRUG - GETTY IMAGES FOR OBERPOLLINGER/ THE KADEWE GROUP
有报道称，雷内·本柯喜欢开玩笑说，如果比独家房地产投资组合只有英国王室和教皇能超过他。
毕竟，这位亿万富翁掌控着复杂的房地产公司网络Signa Holding，最终持有纽约克莱斯勒大厦一半股份，还有伦敦著名的塞尔福里奇百货公司（Selfridges）等等。
然而，本柯的财富能否继续经得起与君王和教会比较，还有待观察。2022年底，Signa帝国的资产价值还高达230亿欧元（240亿美元），但上周已申请破产。
11月29日，Signa在控股集团总部所在地奥地利法院申请破产。根据《财富》杂志看到的文件，债权人必须在2024年1月15日之前登记权益。
“目标是有序维持业务运营……并对公司进行可持续重组，” 路透社（Reuters）报道该公司时表示。
据彭博社（Bloomberg）报道，本柯家族私人信托持有Signa母公司66%股份。Sigma官网称控股集团两大分支为房地产和零售部门。
房地产方面，Signa Prime持有独家房地产；Signa Development投资办公楼和住宅等；Signa RFR US Selection主要收购纽约市的“优质资产”；另外还有Signa豪华酒店。
零售方面，Sign Premium经营德国奢侈品百货公司KaDeWe集团和Signa百货公司集团。
控股集团申请破产对子公司的影响还有待观察。不过专家表示，面对接下来的情况即便是内部人士可能也有些茫然。
“这将是金融危机以来最复杂的企业重组之一，”一位常驻维也纳的律师对英国《金融时报》表示。
彭博社的亿万富翁指数（Bloomberg’s Billionaire’s Index）显示，这家2000年成立的集团中，本柯持有的股份仅今年就暴跌了20亿美元。
申请破产之前的11月中旬，公司创始人本柯刚辞去董事长职务。Sigma领英页面上发布的一份声明中补充道：“今天雷内·本柯将SIGNA控股咨询委员会主席的职位移交给阿恩特·盖维茨……本柯家族私人基金会将继续是控股公司最大股东。”
本柯补充道：“当前情况下，对公司、合作伙伴、投资者和员工来说这是最好的解决方案。现在恢复信任很重要，我想为此做出贡献。SIGNA的房地产投资组合非常独特。我坚信公司前景光明。”
Signa并未回应《财富》杂志的置评请求。
麻烦酝酿
这位房地产大亨可能已经在调整亿万富翁的生活方式。
上个月，奥地利《信使报》（Kurier）报道称，46岁的本柯将以3990万欧元（约合4340万美元）出售三层豪华游艇RoMa。
不过，据称本柯于2015年买下的游艇之后就已摘牌，目前对外出租。据游艇界的爱彼迎YachtCharterFleet介绍，RoMa设有游泳池、电影院和健身房。
游艇最多可容纳12名客人，并配有水肺潜水设备、水上摩托艇、充气海上蹦床和浮泳池。
夏季旺季期间租金高达每周42万欧元，冬季淡季租价为34.5万欧元。当然，租用这种规模的游艇还要支付间接费用，预计每周的额外费用约为3万欧元。
本柯并不是唯一遭受疫情后遗症影响的欧洲奢侈品巨头。
与其他很多房地产企业一样，Sigma也受到利率走高拉低房地产估值的冲击，与此同时企业也在缩减办公规模，对房地产需求降低。
与房地产情况类似的奢侈品零售业对此也并不陌生，伯纳德·阿尔诺旗下的酩悦·轩尼诗-路易·威登集团（LVMH）发现，疫情动荡后恢复“正常”的消费者支出有所缩减。
“经历了三年红火日子，现在增长数据正逐渐趋近符合历史平均水平，”LVMH首席财务官让-雅克·吉奥尼告诉分析师。（财富中文网）
译者：梁宇
审校：夏林
有报道称，雷内·本柯喜欢开玩笑说，如果比独家房地产投资组合只有英国王室和教皇能超过他。
毕竟，这位亿万富翁掌控着复杂的房地产公司网络Signa Holding，最终持有纽约克莱斯勒大厦一半股份，还有伦敦著名的塞尔福里奇百货公司（Selfridges）等等。
然而，本柯的财富能否继续经得起与君王和教会比较，还有待观察。2022年底，Signa帝国的资产价值还高达230亿欧元（240亿美元），但上周已申请破产。
11月29日，Signa在控股集团总部所在地奥地利法院申请破产。根据《财富》杂志看到的文件，债权人必须在2024年1月15日之前登记权益。
“目标是有序维持业务运营……并对公司进行可持续重组，” 路透社（Reuters）报道该公司时表示。
据彭博社（Bloomberg）报道，本柯家族私人信托持有Signa母公司66%股份。Sigma官网称控股集团两大分支为房地产和零售部门。
房地产方面，Signa Prime持有独家房地产；Signa Development投资办公楼和住宅等；Signa RFR US Selection主要收购纽约市的“优质资产”；另外还有Signa豪华酒店。
零售方面，Sign Premium经营德国奢侈品百货公司KaDeWe集团和Signa百货公司集团。
控股集团申请破产对子公司的影响还有待观察。不过专家表示，面对接下来的情况即便是内部人士可能也有些茫然。
“这将是金融危机以来最复杂的企业重组之一，”一位常驻维也纳的律师对英国《金融时报》表示。
彭博社的亿万富翁指数（Bloomberg’s Billionaire’s Index）显示，这家2000年成立的集团中，本柯持有的股份仅今年就暴跌了20亿美元。
申请破产之前的11月中旬，公司创始人本柯刚辞去董事长职务。Sigma领英页面上发布的一份声明中补充道：“今天雷内·本柯将SIGNA控股咨询委员会主席的职位移交给阿恩特·盖维茨……本柯家族私人基金会将继续是控股公司最大股东。”
本柯补充道：“当前情况下，对公司、合作伙伴、投资者和员工来说这是最好的解决方案。现在恢复信任很重要，我想为此做出贡献。SIGNA的房地产投资组合非常独特。我坚信公司前景光明。”
Signa并未回应《财富》杂志的置评请求。
麻烦酝酿
这位房地产大亨可能已经在调整亿万富翁的生活方式。
上个月，奥地利《信使报》（Kurier）报道称，46岁的本柯将以3990万欧元（约合4340万美元）出售三层豪华游艇RoMa。
不过，据称本柯于2015年买下的游艇之后就已摘牌，目前对外出租。据游艇界的爱彼迎YachtCharterFleet介绍，RoMa设有游泳池、电影院和健身房。
游艇最多可容纳12名客人，并配有水肺潜水设备、水上摩托艇、充气海上蹦床和浮泳池。
夏季旺季期间租金高达每周42万欧元，冬季淡季租价为34.5万欧元。当然，租用这种规模的游艇还要支付间接费用，预计每周的额外费用约为3万欧元。
本柯并不是唯一遭受疫情后遗症影响的欧洲奢侈品巨头。
与其他很多房地产企业一样，Sigma也受到利率走高拉低房地产估值的冲击，与此同时企业也在缩减办公规模，对房地产需求降低。
与房地产情况类似的奢侈品零售业对此也并不陌生，伯纳德·阿尔诺旗下的酩悦·轩尼诗-路易·威登集团（LVMH）发现，疫情动荡后恢复“正常”的消费者支出有所缩减。
“经历了三年红火日子，现在增长数据正逐渐趋近符合历史平均水平，”LVMH首席财务官让-雅克·吉奥尼告诉分析师。（财富中文网）
译者：梁宇
审校：夏林
Rene Benko reportedly liked to joke that only the British royal family and the Pope had a more exclusive property portfolio than his.
After all, the billionaire controlled Signa Holding, a complex web of real estate companies which ultimately held half of New York’s Chrysler Building as well as a stake in London’s famous Selfridges department store, and more.
However, whether Benko’s position will continue to stand up to comparison with a monarchy and the Catholic Church remains to be seen. The empire had been valued at €23 billion ($24 billion) in assets at the end of 2022, but last week Signa filed for bankruptcy.
Signa filed for insolvency in Austrian courts—where the holding group is based—on Nov. 29. According to the filing seen by Fortune, creditors have until Jan. 15, 2024, to register their interests.
“The aim is the orderly continuation of business operations…and the sustainable restructuring of the company,” it said, according to Reuters.
According to Bloomberg, the Benko Family Private Trust held 66% of Signa’s parent company. There are two offshoots from the holding group defined on Sigma’s website as real estate and retail arms.
On the real estate side is Signa Prime, which owns exclusive real estate; Signa Development, which invests in the likes of office blocks and residential towers; Signa RFR US Selection, which acquires “trophy assets” with a focus on New York City; and Signa Luxury Hotels.
On the retail side is Sign Premium, which runs the the KaDeWe Group, a group of luxury department stores in Germany, and the Signa Department Store Group.
How the collapse into administration by its holding group impacts its subsidiaries remains to be seen, with experts saying even insiders may be at a loss as to what happens next.
“This will be one of the most complex corporate restructurings since the financial crisis,” one Vienna-based lawyer told the Financial Times.
According to Bloomberg’s Billionaire’s Index, Benko’s stake in the conglomerate launched in 2000 has already imploded by $2 billion alone this year.
The news came after Benko, who founded the business, stepped down as chairman in mid-November. In a statement posted to Sigma’s LinkedIn page, the business added: “René Benko today handed over the chairmanship of the Advisory Board of SIGNA Holding to Arndt Geiwitz… The Benko Family Private Foundation will continue to be the largest shareholder of the holding company.”
Benko added: “In the current situation, this is the best solution for the company, its partners, investors, and employees. It is now important to restore trust, and I want to make my contribution to this. SIGNA’s real estate portfolio is and remains unique. I am absolutely sure that the company can have a very good future.”
Signa did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Trouble brewing
The real estate kingpin may already be scaling back on his billionaire lifestyle.
Last last month, Austrian paper the Kurier reported that 46-year-old Benko was selling his triple-deck luxury yacht, RoMa, for €39.9 million (about $43.4 million).
However, the asset, which Benko reportedly purchased in 2015, was subsequently delisted and has now been put up for charter. According to YachtCharterFleet—an Airbnb for yachts—RoMa features a swimming pool, a movie theater, and a gym.
It can host up to 12 guests and comes equipped with scuba diving equipment, Jet Skis, an inflatable sea trampoline, and a floating pool.
It can be chartered for the princely sum of €420,000 a week in peak summer season, or €345,000 in the low winter season. However, of course, chartering a vessel of this size comes with overheads, so extra costs of around €30,000 a week are also to be expected.
Benko isn’t the only European luxury mogul who is suffering the after-effects of the pandemic at the moment.
Sigma, like many other real estate businesses, has been battered by higher interest rates that have pushed down property valuations, as well as by businesses scaling back their office presence and as a result, needing less real estate.
It’s perhaps a familiar story in the adjacent luxury retail sector, with Bernard Arnault–owned conglomerate LVMH seeing spending scale back as consumers return to “normal” after the upheaval of COVID.
“After three roaring years, and outstanding years, growth is converging toward numbers that are more in line with historical average,” LVMH’s CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony told analysts.
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