Matthias Ackeret, the launch event for your latest book took place on Tuesday at Kaufleuten in Zurich…

… it’s completely crazy. Nearly 400 people showed up. That must be due to the subject of my book

«Der Magier von Hiva Oa» is heavily inspired by the story of René Benko, the fallen Austrian real estate investor. In your book, the protagonist is named Remo Blanko. Did you decide not to use his real name for fear of legal repercussions?

Not at all. In fact, I explicitly state in the first sentence – loosely based on Max Frisch's «Stiller» – «I am not René Benko». I take Benko’s biography as a foundation and build a fictional narrative from there. That’s how Remo Blanko came to be. In the story, after the collapse of his empire, he hides in a luxury hotel in Zurich and wrestles with his fate.

What draws you to the character of René Benko?

René Benko is a name everyone now knows. He polarizes—there's no gray area, only black or white.

What fascinates me most is his extraordinary trajectory. He owned some of the most coveted real estate properties in the world: the KaDeWe in Berlin, the Chrysler Building in New York… It’s astonishing. It’s Hollywood. For a school dropout, René Benko climbed incredibly high. He must possess an extraordinary charisma to persuade people to invest in such an empire.

Why do you think so many investors fell for him?

The real question is: Are Benko's actions even legally relevant?

Aren't they?

As someone with a legal background, I find the situation far from clear-cut. I don’t believe he deliberately set out to deceive people. He believed in his model but ultimately became a victim of his own success. His environment reinforced his belief that he was doing everything right by continuing to provide him with funding. He was blinded by his own achievements and operated on the principle of hope. From a legal perspective, what might be relevant is whether he accepted money at a point when he already knew everything was doomed to fail. That would certainly be actionable in court.

«René Benko believed in his model but ultimately became a victim of his own success.»

You wrote a letter to René Benko. Where did you send it, or do you have any indication of where he resides?

René Benko has residences in Innsbruck and at Lake Garda. I assume he’s currently in Italy, likely trying to avoid the uproar in Austria caused by the hunting trip controversy – that’s why I sent the letter to Lake Garda. By the way, his address is relatively easy to find online—with two or three clicks, anyone can locate it.

What did you write to him?

I informed him about my book and expressed my hope that it aligns with his perspective. The tone of my greeting was quite subtle: «I hope you are doing well despite your somewhat challenging life circumstances.»

«I informed him about my book and expressed my hope that it aligns with his perspective.»

Did you recieve a response from him?

Not yet. I’m not sure if he even receives his mail directly.

What would you ask him in a meeting?

I certainly wouldn’t lecture him. René Benko has already taken enough hits, and he’s not likely to open up completely right away. What I’d be more interested in is understanding how he thinks. And, of course, I’d like to know the exact moment he realized that his plan wasn’t going to work out.

Matthias Ackeret: «Der Magier von Hiva Oa», Münster Verlag.