A financial dispute has emerged between two millionaires who funded a costly but unsuccessful attempt to rescue a stranded humpback whale, known as Timmy, which ultimately died.
Horse racing entrepreneur Karin Walter-Mommert is seeking €500,000 from Walter Gunz, co-founder of the electronics chain MediaMarkt, to cover the outstanding costs of the €2 million operation. Walter-Mommert alleges that she and Gunz had agreed she would cover 60% of the expenses, with Gunz responsible for the remaining 40%. However, she claims Gunz has only transferred €300,000, which is less than half of his agreed share.
Representatives for Gunz deny that any such agreement was finalized and state that Walter-Mommert will not receive further funds. Gunz's lawyer, Joachim Steinhöfel, accused Walter-Mommert of incurring expenses without his client's explicit approval. "Ms Walter-Mommert acted as though she had a blank cheque from Mr Gunz," Steinhöfel told Bild. "There was never any such thing. There wasn’t even an agreement."
Walter-Mommert, however, maintains that Gunz had given her authority to manage the project as she saw fit. She expressed her dismay at his refusal to pay the remaining amount, stating that Gunz had encouraged her to proceed with the rescue, saying, "Do it, do it, do it." She added that he is now "hiding behind his lawyer and leaving me to deal with the bill."
The Rescue Attempt
Timmy, a female humpback whale, became the subject of intense public attention in March when it was repeatedly found stranded off the German Baltic coast. A coalition of volunteers and wealthy donors, including Walter-Mommert and Gunz, initiated an ambitious plan to rescue the whale, a mission that reportedly cost €2 million. Experts had warned that such rescue attempts were inadvisable and could constitute "pure animal cruelty," predicting that the whale would not survive the operation.
Despite the warnings, the whale was transferred to a large barge and guided back into the North Sea on May 2. However, approximately two weeks later, its carcass washed ashore on the Danish island of Anholt.
Background on Donors
Walter-Mommert is a successful racehorse owner and entrepreneur. She is married to Austrian businessman Ulrich Mommert, whose family is reported by Forbes to have a fortune of US$1.7 billion. Walter-Mommert herself has achieved considerable success in equestrian sports and has earned millions from her racehorse business.
Walter Gunz, born in 1946, co-founded the MediaMarkt electronics store chain in 1979. He sold his shares in the company in 2000 and became one of Germany's wealthiest individuals. Gunz also has a history of engaging in animal welfare activities, reportedly purchasing and releasing caged animals in Morocco.
Following the whale's death, its blubber was processed for use in biodiesel and fertilizer. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) had previously advised against rescue attempts, citing that the whale appeared to be in severe distress and unlikely to survive relocation. The whale exhibited lethargy and had visible blemishes, with parts of a fishing net found in its mouth prior to the rescue attempt.