An executive of a large US real estate company was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday in his Jaguar in a forest preserve outside Chicago.

A maintenance worker discovered the body of Steven L. Good, 52, behind the wheel of his Jaguar parked in a lot at the McGraw Wildlife Refuge near East Dundee, authorities said.

Good, chairman and CEO of Sheldon Good & Co. Auctions International LLC was a major figure in Chicago real estate. There was no letter found in his car indicating a motive and it was uncertain whether his death was connected to his job.

His death came hours before that of German billionaire Adolf Merckle, who threw himself under a train after he was brought to the verge of ruin by the financial crisis.

Merckle was the 94th richest person in the world with a net worth of about $9.2 billion. But his poor investment decisions in Volkswagen shares pushed his business empire to the brink of disaster.

Paul Rogers, senior vice president and managing broker of Inland Real Estate Auctions Inc., worked with Good for 10 years at the downtown Chicago auction firm. He told The Wall Street Journal:

“I am shocked to learn of this obvious tragedy,” he said in reaction to the news. “I worked with Steve for 10 years when I was with Sheldon Good & Co. Our thoughts are with this family at this sad time.”

According to the company’s Web site, Sheldon Good “has sold more than 45,000 U.S. and international properties in more than 100 different classes and produced more than $10 billion in sales.”

Image: Chicago Sun Times