The Billionaire Who Tried to Drill Through His 12 Billion Won Villa for Easy Access... "Was It the Porsche Chairman?"

Plan for 480-Meter Private Tunnel Canceled
Residents Protest After Tunnel Project Revealed

Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the German automobile manufacturer Porsche, has sparked strong opposition from residents after attempting to dig a private underground tunnel through a mountain ridge to reach his villa in Austria more comfortably and quickly.

On the 16th (local time), foreign media including DPA and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Wolfgang Porsche, grandson of the founder of Porsche, had planned to dig a 480-meter-long tunnel through the Kapuzinerberg mountain to facilitate access to his villa located in Salzburg, Austria, widely known as the hometown of Mozart. However, the plan was scrapped due to opposition from politicians and residents.

Wolfgang Porsche, grandson of the founder of Porsche in Germany. Official Porsche website

Earlier, in 2020, Porsche purchased the 'Paschinger Schlossl' castle in Salzburg for 8.4 million euros (approximately 12.1 billion KRW). However, access to the castle was difficult, so he planned to build a tunnel himself. Later, it was reported that he received approval from the former Salzburg mayor, affiliated with the People's Party, for a private parking lot that could accommodate up to 12 vehicles and connect it to the villa. However, after the mayor changed, some city council members, including those from the Green Party, raised issues. Ingeborg Haller, leader of the Green Party in the city council, said, "It is surprising that an individual can dig through a mountain," adding, "We reject special privileges for billionaires." The city council is scheduled to vote on a city planning amendment related to the underground parking lot at Porsche's villa around mid-next month. Meanwhile, the People's Party argues there is no reason to block the underground parking lot. On the other hand, the Green Party opposes the tunnel construction on the grounds that it constitutes inappropriate use of public property.

In 2020, the Porsche chairman purchased this villa for 9 million dollars (approximately 12 billion KRW). Among the costs, he paid a fee of 40,000 euros (approximately 64.68 million KRW) to the city authorities as a permit fee for digging the land before constructing the underground parking lot. Photo by EPA·Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Porsche paid a fee of as much as 40,000 euros (approximately 64.68 million KRW) to the city authorities as a permit cost to excavate the land before building the underground parking lot. Some speculate that this fee might have been used for lobbying funds or other purposes.

Meanwhile, after the news of Porsche chairman’s underground tunnel plan broke, Salzburg residents held protest demonstrations. Maike Cyrus, a candidate in the local university student council election, criticized, "We cannot tolerate the ultra-rich using political connections and money for morally unacceptable actions." However, it remains unclear whether Porsche’s tunnel construction plan will be scrapped. The approval decision is expected to come later based on the city authorities’ review, and the controversy is likely to continue for some time.