Niece of one of world's richest men found dead on hotel balcony in horror fall

12 May 2023 , 17:12

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Virginia von Furstenberg, 48, was found dead after police believe she suffered a fall at the Palace Hotel (Image: Newsflash)

The niece one of the world's richest men has been found dead on a hotel balcony.

Virginia von Furstenberg was the niece of Gianni Agnelli - the principal shareholder of Fiat which saw him control 4.4 per cent of Italy's total GDP.

The mother-of-five's lifeless body was reportedly discovered on the morning of May 10, after what police suspect to have been a deadly fall from some of the upper floors of the Palace Hotel - a luxury five-star hotel located in the town of Merano, in northern Italy.

Police have ruled out foul play in the death of the 48-year-old fashion designer and no other details have been released at the time of writing.

Virginia previously made headlines when she mysteriously disappeared from her home last February.

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Gianni Agnelli - the principal shareholder of Fiat which saw him control 4.4% of Italy's total GDP (Newsflash)

Concerned family members reported her missing to the local authorities after they claimed she left without any notice.

A few days later, she reportedly came back on her own with no further details revealed.

Virginia left behind five children, the result of several relationships and two of her three failed marriages.

Virginia previously made headlines when she mysteriously disappeared from her home last February (Newsflash)

Virginia von Furstenberg was a mum-of-five (Newsflash)

Her grandfather was Tassilo von Furstenberg, a prince of a noble house originally from southern Germany, and her grandmother Clara Agnelli, sister of Gianni Agnelli.

The Agnelli family is often referred to as the Italian Kennedys, due to their prominent status and influence in Italian society.

Abigail O'Leary