Kriti Mehrotra
If we’re being honest, Netflix’s ‘Gunther’s Millions’ not only lives up to its promise of exposing the empire of the world’s wealthiest dog but also shines a light upon his roots as well as experiences. It thus becomes evident the initial tale of the German Shepherd’s inheritance from German Countess Carlotta Von Liebenstein was nothing but a publicity stunt, and yet he remains rich on paper. So now, if you wish to learn more about this incredible fortune — with a specific focus on the way Gunther amassed the same and how much it is — we’ve got the necessary details for you.
How Did Gunther The Dog Inherit His Money?
The original, lasting narrative for the past three decades has been that Countess Carlotta willed her 138 billion old Italian lire ($80 million) estate to her canine Gunther III upon her death in 1992. The reason she did so was she reportedly had no close relatives, her son had died by suicide from depression at the age of 26, and even her breadwinning husband had preceded her years prior. Therefore, as an homage to her boy (also named Gunther) and her own adoration for their family pet, she left everything they’d attained through pharmaceutical industry success to her dog.
However, the truth is none of it is real; neither this Countess nor her son ever existed, and so the former really did not make Gunther her heir upon ensuing his bloodline was already breeding. It’s actually a mere tale concocted by Maurizio Mian to garner publicity for his work at every step while also avoiding his homeland’s high taxes since his family was the one who’d earned millions. After all, they were the proud owner-operators of the pharmaceutical company Istituto Gentili, which reached new heights when his mother, Maria Gabriella Gentili, was serving as its President.
Therefore, according to the Netflix docuseries “thinking about the family, the group, the grandchildren,” Maria had been transferring significant profits to the tax haven of Liechtenstein for years. But then Italian officials decided to launch an investigation into “undeclared money kept abroad,” driving the family to come up with the idea of having their funds be under someone else’s name. That’s when the Countess came into the picture, with Maurizio basing her core personality off of a friend’s ailing mother before linking parts of her backstory (such as a depressed son) on himself.
As for Gunther III, the actual pet of Maurizio’s then-girlfriend Antonella Signorini, he came into the equation as heir/ figurehead a little bit later, leading to the entire hoax starting around 1992. Maria was then “named” this Trust’s handler, just to be followed by her son once she fell ill owing to her older age, all of which essentially ensured their money essentially remained under their control.
Gunther The Dog’s Net Worth
While Gunther III sadly passed away in 1992 itself, Gunther IV helmed the Trust/Corporation from 1992 to 2005. Then there was Gunther V from 2005 to 2018, and now it’s Gunther VI right at the front and center. They’re all technically different dogs, yet they hold the same title and have hence passed on the fortune to their successor — it’s kind of like they’re a royal family in their own right.
Coming to Gunther’s exact net worth, it has been reported that he’s the figurehead for acquisitions in sports clubs, media publications, as well as real estate, making his core assets amount to nearly $350 million. He also makes several public appearances, has had an album, virtually owned several entertainment groups, and has many other minor active investments across the globe. Therefore, from what we can tell, Gunther’s estate is in the range of $500 million as of writing, making him the wealthiest pet in the world.
Read More: Did Gunther the Dog Really Release an Album?
