Mystery as billionaire investor found dead in lake on his luxury $2.4m estate

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

An investigation has been launched into the mysterious death of a billionaire investor after his body was found in the secluded lake on his $2.4m estate in Washington.

Daniel Reiner, 72, was found dead in Trout Lake, near Fertile Valley Road, Pend Oreille County at around 3pm on August 31, following an extensive search involving divers and cadaver dogs.

Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a missing person at the private estate the night before.

Responding officers were forced to abandon the search because of nightfall before his body was found the next day.

“[Reiner] went swimming and just didn’t come back,” Sheriff Glenn Blakeslee told The Miner Newspapers.

According to The Spokesman-Review, Blakeslee said there was no current evidence to suggest his death was suspicious.

“We of course look if there are any signs of obvious trauma or anything along those lines that would be obvious to say there is foul play involved…” he said. “We didn’t see any in this case, so then we rely on the medical examiner in the coroner’s office to give us a manner and cause of death.”

POC prosecutor Dolly Hunt told The Independent that an autopsy was completed on September 5 but that the report is still pending.

“No further information is available,” Hunt said.

Reiner, a Pepperdine University graduate from Spokane, boasted an extensive business portfolio in both the public and private sectors.

His business success saw him accumulate a vast property empire including the luxury lake house on the shore of Trout Lake which he bought in 1998, Pend Oreille County property records reveal.

At the time of his death, he also owned around 30 properties spanning around 1,837 acres as well as golf courses and resorts across the country including Granite Bay Golf Club Sacramento, Pebble Beach Golf Links San Jose, Cabo del Sol near Cabo San Lucas and Club Corp, TheSpokesman–Review reported.

Business associate and friend Tom Simpson told The Spokesman–Review Reiner was a “remarkable individual,” “one of the best deal makers I have ever met,” and a “mentor” to many.

He added: “It’s a great loss to a lot of us who know him well and to the community.”