A jet crash over the weekend in Costa Rica has left CEO, entrepreneur Rainer Schaller dead, according to RSG Group. “We can confirm that Rainer Schaller, his family and two other passengers were on the plane when it crashed. We apologize but cannot comment further at this time as the incident is still being investigated on site,” the business wrote.
Schaller was on a list of passengers who were on a plane, according to the Associated Press, found near Limon, Costa Rica. Schaller started the business, which eventually ran international companies including McFit gym and Gold’s Gym.
The name of Schaller’s girlfriend, “Kristian Shikorski,” was also on the list. Now it’s obvious that she was probably on board too. According to Costa Rican authorities, they have so far recovered two bodies – one adult and one child – along with luggage and parts of the plane.
The plane that may have been carrying Schaller was not initially available Friday. Security Minister Jorge Torres said: “At around six in the afternoon we received an alert about a flight traveling from Mexico to Limon airport carrying five German passengers. Limon is located near the Caribbean on the east coast of Costa Rica.
Owner of Gold’s Gym #RainerSchaller among 6 killed in plane crash nearby #Costa Ricahttps://t.co/EywIhxnc7y
— DNA (@dna) October 23, 2022
Torres said officials believed everyone on the plane was German nationals and that they were searching for bodies off the country’s coast, but the search was temporarily hampered by bad weather.
Who is Rainer Schaller?
In 1997, German entrepreneur Rainer Schaller opened the first McFit gym in Bavaria. According to the company’s website, it continued to open sites in Germany and by 2006 had a total of over 400,000 members. It began to acquire competitors and expand internationally, adding other types and brands of gyms.
Gold’s Gym owner Rainer Schaller feared dead after plane crash https://t.co/p6IBm4piTq
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 23, 2022
The parent company, now known as RSG Group, acquired Gold’s Gym in 2020. According to the corporation, it now has 41,000 employees and 21 brands, some of which are dedicated to creative management and design. According to the company’s website, Schaller serves as its founder, CEO and owner.
“We are devastated by this unfortunate incident and are shocked and in awe. We have been devastated by the news over the past few days and are thinking of the family at this difficult time,” the business said.