Lawyer criticizes Niki Lauda's widow during inheritance dispute.

Lawyer criticizes Niki Lauda's widow during inheritance dispute.

      "What Birgit is doing is causing significant harm"

      A contentious legal dispute regarding Niki Lauda's estate has resurfaced, with the late Formula 1 icon's lawyer accusing his widow, Birgit Lauda, of undermining his legacy. Lauda’s close friend and attorney, Haig Asenbauer, expressed his concerns to Bild newspaper, stating that he could no longer stay silent about what he labeled as "posthumous defamation."

      "My primary motivation is to correct the record on matters that truly tarnish Niki’s honor," Asenbauer remarked. "There are some completely outrageous claims about Niki Lauda being circulated, which he absolutely does not deserve. Since Niki can no longer speak for himself, it falls upon us to clarify several points."

      The triple world champion, who passed away in 2019, had a meticulously organized estate and private foundation intended to provide for his family, which includes Birgit and their twins, Mia and Max, as well as his two sons from his first marriage to Marlene Knaus.

      According to Bild, Birgit initiated legal action a year after Lauda's passing, disputing elements of the inheritance provisions and pension benefits designated for her. The lawsuits, totaling EUR 30 million, assert that she was treated unfairly according to the Lauda Private Foundation’s guidelines.

      Asenbauer dismissed claims that Birgit or the twins were excluded. "In fact, Niki Lauda ensured that Mia and Max would inherit more from the foundation's assets than any other family member," he stated, adding that "PSL has already distributed over EUR 30 million in cash and in-kind benefits to family members, with half of that allocated to Birgit and her children."

      One of Birgit’s two lawsuits, amounting to EUR 8.5 million, has already been dismissed, although she has appealed the decision. A second lawsuit, valued at EUR 22 million, is still ongoing.

      "Asenbauer cautioned that 'What Birgit is doing is severely harming her own children,' highlighting that the funds she is disputing would otherwise remain within the foundation for their future benefit."

Lawyer criticizes Niki Lauda's widow during inheritance dispute.

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Lawyer criticizes Niki Lauda's widow during inheritance dispute.

Formula 1 | A contentious legal dispute regarding Niki Lauda's estate has resurfaced, as the late Formula 1 icon's attorney has claimed that his wife Birgit Lauda has harmed (…)