Town & Country Magazine
By Emily Burack
February 1st, 2023
Did a German countess named Karlotta Leibenstein really leave millions to a dog named Gunther? It’s not that simple.
The story goes: a German Countess named Karlotta Leibenstein (also spelled Carlotta Liebenstein) died in 1992. Upon her death, she left her entire $80 million fortune to her beloved dog, Gunther III. That money has remained with Gunther’s descendants—making Gunther the German Shepard the richest dog in the world.
***Story contains spoilers for Netflix Docuseries “Gunther’s Millions“***
“Karlotta Leibenstein was a German countess who resided in Munich,” Lucy Clarkson, head of PR for Gunther, says in episode one of Gunther’s Millions on Netflix. “And her husband was university professor who came to Germany as a refugee from Hungary. They got their fortune from his amazing pharmaceutical company, which made them so much money. In February of 1992, the Countess passed away. When she died, she had no direct relatives, no one close to her, and she gave everything to her dog, Gunther, who she loved so much. And then, the Gunther Trust was created to make sure the money stayed with Gunther and the bloodline.”
