Former Billionaire Winemaker Passes Away

Huba Szeremley, one of Hungary's most successful winemakers, has died at the age of 81. Szeremley was once one of the richest Hungarians but in recent years he had to part with some of his fortune and became embroiled in a serious police case, various news sources report.

Szeremley was a successful entrepreneur from the 1960s, with interests and businesses in Africa and the Middle East, and his wealth was estimated at around HUF 20-22 billion, making him one of the richest Hungarians. According to an article in 2015, Szeremley had become completely impoverished and run-down in recent years, with one of his ex-wives taking a mansion from him in their divorce, but he has also sold his helicopters and quit the family company he founded.

Last year, the one of the Hungarian tabloid papers found Szeremley, a hermit, living in a small house in Szigliget at Lake Balaton. The tabloid's article reveals that he had already suffered his fourth stroke last year and was not in good health. At the time, he told the paper that he was innocent of fraud charges of more than HUF 200 million.