Before the trial

How Nathalie Benko is fighting for the million rings

In the ring fight with the investigators: Nathalie Benko(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg, Starpix / picturedesk.com)

René Benko and his wife will soon have to answer to the Innsbruck Regional Court. It's about hidden luxury watches in the safe. Mrs. Benko is currently fighting almost desperately for the return of seven valuable rings that were also seized from relatives by Soko Signa.

The second Benko trial of the year is due to take place in Innsbruck before Christmas. The billionaire bankrupt René Benko is accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) of having seized assets such as watches and cufflinks from his liquidator and creditors in the course of his insolvency in March 2024. With the help of his wife Nathalie, who had relatives purchase a small safe and set it up in a bunker room in Pfunds in Tyrol. Both deny the allegations and the presumption of innocence applies.

The safe was tracked down by Soko Signa around the time of René Benko's arrest in January 2025. Just like some other shiny finds, over which a real wrestling match has now broken out, as investigation documents available to the Krone show.

In a wrestling match with the investigators: Nathalie Benko(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg, Starpix / picturedesk.com)

Submissions every month
Nathalie Benko is currently trying to get seven valuable rings handed over every month. On September 8, she and her Innsbruck lawyer filed another application to this effect. On October 10, following an interim report by Soko Signa with details on the origin of the precious jewelry, she renewed this request. The document is garnished with private photos of Ms. Benko wearing the rings. The question for the judiciary, which must decide whether to hand them over, is: who owns the valuable pieces of jewelry?

From the investigation documents(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

The lawyer's current submission from the beginning of October states: "At the latest with the pleading in question, there can no longer be any reasonable doubt about Nathalie Benko's ownership of these 7 rings." It also states: "In summary, it is therefore obvious that Nathalie Benko is the owner of these 7 rings and that none of these rings can be brought into a factual or legal connection with the insolvency of Rene Benko due to the time of acquisition and donation (...)"

Picture from happier days: René Benko and his wife Nathalie in 2011(Bild: Copyright: Starpix / picturedesk.com)

René Benko in court in Innsbruck on 16 October 2025(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

No gift declarations
Mrs. Benko's dilemma: the investigators are missing the legally required gift declarations to the tax authorities, which must be made for such valuable valuables. Especially when the value of individual items is well into the seven-figure euro range.

Just to clarify: a very special treasure comes from the house of Harry Winston. According to available documents, the diamond ring was sold to René Benko in Zurich in July 2021. For 2.359 million Swiss francs. That was around 2.169 million euros at the time. Customs incurred costs of 494,929.22 euros for this.

"Not yet conclusively clarified"
 In response to an inquiry from Krone, the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption reported on Nathalie Benko's application for the return of the seven rings: As the ownership situation has not yet been conclusively clarified, no decision has yet been made on the application.

Ms. Benko can take comfort - at least for the time being. Her lawyer's most recent submission literally states: "Of course, Ms Nathalie Benko has other jewelry in addition to the seven rings (...)", this fact is undisputed. "However, it is true to life and understandable that particularly valuable pieces of jewelry that are not worn every day are kept separately."