Status: 04.01.2024, 12:30 p.m.
By: Nico Reiter
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He was in the headlines not only for his invention, but also for his private life. He sued Amnesty International and survived an assassination attempt.
Ferlach – "Just do it. Make it perfect," is the company's motto. The Glock pistol, designed around 1980 by Austrian engineer Gaston Glock, changed the world of firearms. He passed away on December 27, 2023, at the age of 94, his company announced on its website.
Gaston Glock has died – he developed the "Glock 17" pistol for the Austrian Armed Forces
Gaston Glock, born in 1929, worked as a plastics engineer after completing his training. With Glock KG, founded in 1963, later Glock GmbH, he supplied the Austrian Armed Forces with practice hand grenades and machine gun belts since the 1970s. In 1980, he designed a weapon specially made for them. In collaboration with weapons specialists, he designed and patented the "Glock 17" pistol, which laid the foundation for future models.
Gaston Glock, inventor of the Glock pistol passed away © Rolf Poss/Skata/Imago
Compared to other weapons of its time, it was cost-effective to produce and also had low wear and tear. This was also appreciated by the United States, where carrying weapons is even more widespread. As early as 1985, a subsidiary was founded there. Today, most American police departments and the FBI are equipped with the Glock pistol. But the weapon has also been linked to a number of mass shootings.
Gaston Glock – Life between divorce and scandals
Despite his rather reserved lifestyle, Glock hit the headlines several times. In 1999, he survived an assassination attempt in Luxembourg commissioned by a former business partner. He sued organizations such as Amnesty International, which criticized his dealings. His name was last mentioned in 2017 in connection with the Ibiza affair. Politician Heinz-Christian Strache claimed that Glock had secretly donated to the FPÖ, which he denied.
Glock is survived by three children from his first marriage to ex-wife Helga Glock. After the divorce, she unsuccessfully sued him for $500 million. In 2011, he married Kathrin Glock, who was over 50 years his junior, and who also joined his company. Gaston Glock's fortune was most recently estimated at 1.5 billion euros.
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