King of 9mm is no more: Reclusive billionaire gun master Gaston Glock dies at 94

Gaston Glock, the Austrian developer of the handgun that bears his name passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94. The Glock company said in a statement that the life’s work of its founder would ‘continue in his spirit’. Glock, a private engineer established the company in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna. Over the years, it has expanded globally, with a U.S. subsidiary established in 1985. Beyond its widespread use by security personnel, armed forces, gun owners, and even criminals, the Glock handgun has also become a fixture in American pop culture, making appearances in several Hollywood blockbusters. Glock handguns are used by police, security personnel, armed forces, gun owners and criminals worldwide, some countries’ military forces, as well as private customers. The weapon was significantly lighter, featured in several Hollywood blockbusters, cheaper and more reliable than the models available when it was created. Glock said on its website that its founder “not only revolutionised the world of small arms in the 1980s but also succeeded in establishing the Glock brand as the global leader in the handgun industry.” Glock’s company developed its first military products, including field knives, in the 1970s. Glock “recognised his great opportunity” to design an innovative weapon when the Austrian Defence Ministry in the early 1980s invited tenders for a new self-defence pistol, with a reduced weight and safe and simple operation, according to the company. The result was the polymer-framed semi-automatic Glock pistol. More than 25,000 were delivered to the Austrian military between 1982 and 1984, the company said. Despite his success, Glock, known for once thwarting an attempt on his life by knocking out a hitman, has been depicted as a private individual who preferred spending a significant amount of his time at an estate along an Austrian lakefront. Throughout most of his life, he successfully avoided media attention. However, his profile rose in 2012 with the publication of a book about his business following his divorce from his first wife, Helga, in 2011. Glock and Helga, who married in 1962, went through a divorce in 2011, as indicated in a lawsuit filed by Helga. The legal document outlined their three children, Brigitte, Gaston Jr., and Robert. With inputs from agencies.