The Austrian businessman Gaston Glock, inventor of the famous pistol that bears his name, died today at the age of 94, according to the company he founded and which last year had profits of more than 500 million euros.
Glock, one of the richest men in Austria, with an estimated fortune of more than one billion euros, according to the Austrian agency APA, which in a statement assured that "Gaston Glock's work will continue in the future with the same spirit." ".
Gaston Glock invented a pistol in the early 1980s that became famous for its lightness, speed and foolproof mechanics, and which has become a widely used weapon by both security forces and criminal groups. "With vision for the future, Gaston Glock developed his company and took it to the top of the world with the internationally recognized Glock Perfection. He was responsible for the strategic direction of the GLOCK Group and its employees until the end," the statement said. the company.
The company, founded in 1963, initially manufactured consumer objects in plastic and wood, until in the early 1970s it began to produce knives and military accessories.
The big leap came when Glock won a tender from the Austrian Army in 1980 to provide itself with a new service pistol.
Glock, who had no previous experience with firearms, created a lighter pistol, because it used plastic parts in a new way, very easy to disassemble, compact, with more bullets per magazine and that never jammed.
The company has factories in numerous countries, including the United States, one of the largest and most lucrative arms markets in the world.
Glock, who always stayed away from public life, even applying an aggressive strategy of complaints against media that reported on his company in a negative way, has two sons and a daughter.
In 2011, Glock divorced Helga, the woman he was married to for 49 years, and married Kathrin Tschikof, 52 years his junior. His ex-wife's fight for part of the family fortune attracted media attention.
In its statement, the company assured today that its founder has ensured the continuity and stability of the company.
