Who is missing Gold’s Gym millionaire, Rainer Schaller? The German McFit fitness mogul, with a net worth of US$250 million, was on a private plane when it crashed in Costa Rica with his family onboard
- Rainer Schaller built his fitness empire – and US$250 million fortune – from scratch, with humble beginnings at his mother’s grocery store in the small town of Bamberg, Germany
- The 53-year-old CEO acquired Dallas-based Gold’s Gym for a whopping US$100 million after it filed for bankruptcy relief due to Covid-19, and was in headlines due to a massive Love Parade accident
German fitness mogul Rainer Schaller, 53, has been feared dead along with his family after their private plane crashed in Costa Rica on October 21.
As reported by CNN, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Security shared the tragic news on Facebook that a plane flying from Mexico to Limon, Costa Rica, had lost contact with the control tower. Schaller and his family’s names were found on the flight manifest obtained by CNN and are believed to not have survived the plane crash.
Schaller’s eponymous company, Rainer Schaller Global Group, known as RSG Group, also confirmed the news with an issue statement, although they did not confirm his death: “His family and two other people were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.” The statement continued, “We are shocked, stunned and full of grief about this tragic accident. The news during the last few days has shaken us deeply, and our thoughts are with the family in these difficult hours.”
While we wait to learn more about the incident, we take a look back at Schaller’s impressive achievements, his giant net worth and how he built his fitness business empire.
Who is Rainer Schaller?
The German entrepreneur was born in Bamberg, West Germany, where he grew up with his parents. His grandfather and mother worked in retail while his brother, Gerd Schaller, is a renowned conductor in Germany.
He had his brother to thank for his entrepreneurial motivations. In an interview with German business newspaper Handelsblatt, per Trend News Detail, Schaller said that he was not a good student in school and since the fact that his brother was a top-notch student, the healthy competition helped him shape his personality and to make a name for himself.