Asher Edelman

Last updated
Asher B. Edelman
Asher Edelmann (1993) by Erling Mandelmann (cropped).jpg
Asher Edelman, 1993, by Erling Mandelmann
Born (1939-11-26) November 26, 1939 (age 84)
New York City, US
NationalityAmerican, Swiss
Education Bard College
Occupation(s)Investor, art collector
Spouses
  • Antonia Patricia Simpson
  • Penelope Cox
  • Maria Regina Leal Costa Mayall
  • Michelle Vrebalovic
Children4

Asher Barry Edelman (born November 26, 1939) is an American financier.

Contents

Biography

Edelman was the son of New York real estate investor, Richard M. Edelman. He graduated from Bard College and in 1961, he went to work for Halle and Stieglitz where he focused on option arbitrage and became the youngest (24 years old) New York Stock Exchange approved office manager. [1] He founded Mack, Bushnell & Edelman in 1969, and served as CEO. [2] Edelman's Wall Street businesses included investment banking, money management, and derivatives trading. In 1988, he taught a course called "Corporate Raiding – The Art of War" at Columbia Business School, using as his textbook Sun Tzu's The Art of War . [3] The character of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street was based in part on Edelman. [4]

In 1988, he moved to Switzerland and founded a contemporary art museum in Pully, near Lausanne. The FAE Musée d'Art Contemporain launched the first European retrospective exhibitions of Robert Mapplethorpe, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, and Peter Halley. It also was the first venue for "Post Human" an exhibition co-curated by Chantal Prod'hom of the FAE and Jeffrey Deitch. [5]

In 2002, he created the company Edelman Arts Inc., a dealer in Impressionism through post war art, which also represents contemporary artists including Doug Argue, Yasmine Chatila, Cathy McClure and Christopher Winter. [6]

Edelman is the founder and president of ArtAssure Ltd., an art finance firm founded in 2010, [7] which places art at auction, lends, purchases and guarantees the price of art at auction.

In 2014, he launched Artemus, an art leasing business. Artemus buys art from owners and then leases it back, typically for seven years. The other shareholders in Artemus are the Durst Organization and Armory Merchant Holdings. [8]

Edelman has served on many boards of trustees of art and educational institutions including past chairman of the board of Brooklyn Academy of Music, vice chairman of American Ballet Theatre, vice chairman of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, chairman of the Karole Armitage Dance Group, board member of the Prix de Lausanne, Gotham Chamber Opera, and many others. He presently serves on the board of Bard College.

In an interview with CNBC on March 9, 2016, Edelman endorsed Bernie Sanders as the next US president citing the falling velocity of money and Sanders' platform of stimulative fiscal policy. [9] [10]

Disputes

In 2007 Edelman loaned Courier 1, a painting by American painter Robert Ryman, to the Swiss-based Galerie Gmurzynska for exhibition at Art Basel Miami Beach. After its return, the painting was sent to a dealer in New York for consignment, but was found to be damaged. According to Edelman, the painting had a "big gouge", rendering the artwork "a total loss". [11] The painting had been insured for $750,000 with Edelman's insurer, XL Specialty Insurance. [11] Edelman claimed that the Gmurzynska had disputed the case and had instructed its own insurer not to pay. XL Specialty Insurance made Edelman its assignee, and he then sued the gallery for $750,000 plus a further $250,000 for "willful conduct of defendant" and "reprehensible motives and such wanton dishonesty as to imply a criminal indifference to civil obligations." [12] In October 2009 a New York district court awarded a judgement of $767,438 against the gallery. Using a writ of execution for an unanswered lawsuit, Edelman arranged for the US Marshals Service to confiscate some of the gallery's works at the opening of the Art Basel Miami Beach fair. [11] Marshals removed four paintings which Edelman valued at $6 million. The gallery denied instructing its insurer to withhold payment and claimed that they had no knowledge of the judgement; they paid up and the paintings were returned to the stand. [11]

In 2010 Edelman was sued by Emigrant Savings Bank over $3 million of loans. [4] Collateral on the loans included a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti, Torse de Femme. Edelmann sold the sculpture and paid the debt plus $1.1 million in court judgements. He then sued Emigrant for fraud. [4]

In February 2014 Edelman's company ArtAssure sued the Swiss company Artmentum for breach of contract and allegedly fraudulent representations. ArtAssure were offered a collection of over 100 paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, supposed to have been in the ownership of Hiroshima Bank of Japan, at a discounted price of €350 million. The sale was contingent on the purchase being made through Artmentum for confidentiality. After several months of negotiations, Artmentum failed to provide evidence that they were authorised to sell the collection. The claim for $204 million was brought before a judge in a New York court. [13] The claim was dismissed on the grounds that Artmentum was a Swiss company, with few commercial activities in the US, and therefore the case was outside the jurisdiction of the court. [14]

In April 2011, Edelman was sued by a limited partner of his in an investment vehicle, Museum Partners LP, of which Edelman was the general partner. [15] This lawsuit was primarily for breach of fiduciary duty and called for very substantial reparations. This suit was ultimately dismissed by the court on the technicality that the plaintiff no longer had standing as a limited partner by reason of having agreed to an oral contract alleged by Edelman to purchase the interest of the limited partner in the partnership. However, the decision of the court did result in a final judgment against Edelman of about $250,000 and accruing interest. [16]

Personal life

Edelman has been married four times. His first wife was English-born Antonia Patricia Simpson (married 1964), the daughter of Gerald Gordon Simpson, British deputy consul general in New York. [17] His second wife was Penelope Cox Edelman; they had three children: Danielle, Lisa, and Alexandra, before divorcing. [18] [19] [20] [21] His third wife was Brazilian-born Maria Regina Leal Costa Mayall Edelman (married 1987 - divorced 2000). [22] His fourth wife is Michelle Vrebalovic Edelman. His son Christopher (born 1999) is a music producer. [23]

Notes

  1. Tagliabue, John (8 July 2001). "Private Sector; An Outsider Takes On the Swiss". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  2. "NYS Department of State Division of Corporations Entity Information" . Retrieved 2010-10-12.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. Behar, Richard (December 11, 1989). "A Golden Boy's Woe: 'I'm Virtually a Slave'". Time . Retrieved October 12, 2010. Archived from the original March 2, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 Vardi, Nathan. "Greed is so-so". Forbes. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  5. "Post Human - Flash Art". Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  6. Sandler, Linda, Bloomberg News, January 16, 2008, "", Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  7. "Asher Edelman Interview (video)". Bloomberg News . Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  8. Whyte, Alasdair, Private Art Investor, November 11, 2014, " "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-30. Retrieved 2014-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)", Retrieved 2014-11-12.
  9. "Asher Edelman Interview (video) - CNBC" . Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  10. Boucher, Brian (March 11, 2016). "Asher Edelman, 'The Art World's Gordon Gekko,' Endorses Bernie Sanders's Economic Plans". artnet news. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Tully, Judd. "Seized the day". blouinartinfo.com. Blouinartinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  12. "Bloomberg Politics - Bloomberg". Bloomberg News . Archived from the original on 2015-09-16.
  13. Jovanovic, Rozalia. "Scammed?: Asher Edelman, the Art World's "Gordon Gekko," Sues for Fraud". blouinartinfo.com. Blouinartinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  14. Whyte, Alasdair (6 November 2014). "ArtAssure v. Artmentum case dismissed due to jurisdiction of court". privateartinvestor.com. Private Art Investor. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  15. iApps.courts.state.ny.us
  16. iApps.courts.state.ny.us
  17. "Antonia Simpson Engaged to Wed Asher Edelman; Former Corcoran Art School Student to Be Married to Broker". The New York Times . October 9, 1964.
  18. "Financier and art collector Asher Edelman and his now ex-wife, Penny, maintained a cordial but chilly relationship during the last years of their marriage". New York Daily News . October 20, 1992. But after Edelman sought a divorce so that he could marry his Brazilian mistress, the tenor of the relationship turned downright arctic, according to Edelman's former major-domo, or household manager, Desmond Atholl. Before the divorce became finalized, Asher and Penny spent one last Christmas together in Sun Valley for the sake of their children.
  19. "Maxwell William Murphy Moore". The Bulletin (Bend). January 9, 2006.
  20. "Terrebonne man sentenced to 10 years for baby's death. Mother calls Nilles 'a dangerous human being'". The Bulletin (Bend). April 21, 2007.
  21. Dugan, Dana (May 10, 2006). "'He was a miracle to begin with' Quilt builds awareness about donating organs". Idaho Mountain Express. Sisters Danielle and Lisa Edelman held each other as they stared at the Threads of Life quilt on display at The Community Library Children's Library in Ketchum
  22. Maneker, Marion (September 3, 2009). "Ex-Mrs. Edelman Downsizes". Art Market Monitor.
  23. Edelman, Asher (June 22, 2017). "Our son Christopher "GEKKO" has produced his first album with "MAR$" the hip-hop rapper performer". asheredelman.com.

Related Research Articles

<i>Wall Street</i> (1987 film) 1987 American drama film by Oliver Stone

Wall Street is a 1987 American drama film, directed and co-written by Oliver Stone, which stars Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah, and Martin Sheen. The film tells the story of Bud Fox, a young stockbroker who becomes involved with Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a wealthy, unscrupulous corporate raider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucian Freud</span> British painter and engraver (1922-2011)

Lucian Michael Freud was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish architect Ernst L. Freud and the grandson of Sigmund Freud. Freud got his first name "Lucian" from his mother in memory of the ancient writer Lucian of Samosata. His family moved to England in 1933, when he was 10 years old, to escape the rise of Nazism. He became a British naturalized citizen in 1939. From 1942 to 1943 he attended Goldsmiths' College, London. He served at sea with the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War.

Art finance and Art finance advisory are terms referring to a set of financial services provided by some auction houses, banks, and consulting firms, and marketed to such firms' clients who are art collectors or artists.

Daniel Leopold Wildenstein was a French art dealer, historian and owner-breeder of thoroughbred and standardbred race horses. He was the third member of the family to preside over Wildenstein & Co., one of the most successful and influential art-dealerships of the 20th century. He was once described as "probably the richest and most powerful art dealer on earth".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Cohen (businessman)</span> American billionaire hedge-fund manager, sports team owner (born 1956)

Steven A. Cohen is an American hedge-fund manager and owner of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball since September 14, 2020, owning just over 97% of the team. He is the founder of hedge fund Point72 Asset Management and S.A.C. Capital Advisors, which closed after pleading guilty to insider trading and other financial crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Gekko</span> Main antagonist of 1987 film Wall Street

Gordon Gekko is a composite character in the 1987 film Wall Street and its 2010 sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, both directed by Oliver Stone. Gekko was portrayed in both films by actor Michael Douglas, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the first film. In 2003, the American Film Institute named Gordon Gekko No. 24 on its Top 50 movie villains of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth C. Griffin</span> American billionaire hedge fund manager (born 1968)

Kenneth Cordele Griffin is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder, chief executive officer, co-chief investment officer, and 80% owner of Citadel LLC, a multinational hedge fund. He also owns Citadel Securities, one of the largest market makers in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gagosian Gallery</span> Contemporary and modern art gallery with multiple locations

The Gagosian Gallery is a modern and contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. The gallery exhibits some of the most well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. As of 2024, Gagosian employs 300 people at 19 exhibition spaces – including New York City, London, Paris, Basel, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Rome, Athens, Geneva, and Hong Kong – designed by architects such as Caruso St John, Richard Gluckman, Richard Meier, Jean Nouvel, and Annabelle Selldorf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anh Duong</span> American actress

Anh Duong is a French-American artist, actress, and model. She is known for her self-portraits, which she has compared to a visual diary, as well as portraits of significant art collectors and influencers.

<i>Le RĂªve</i> (Picasso) 1932 oil painting by Pablo Picasso

Le Rêve is a 1932 oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, then 50 years old, portraying his 22-year-old mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter. It is said to have been painted in one afternoon, on 24 January 1932. It belongs to Picasso's period of distorted depictions, with its oversimplified outlines and contrasted colors resembling early cubism. The erotic content of the painting has been noted repeatedly, with critics pointing out that Picasso painted an erect penis, presumably symbolizing his own, in the upturned face of his model. On 26 March 2013, the painting was sold in a private sale for $155 million, making it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell Rales</span> American businessman and art collector (born 1956)

Mitchell P. Rales is an American businessman and art collector best known for co-founding Danaher Corporation with his brother Steven Rales and the art museum Glenstone with his wife Emily Wei. Rales is also the chairman of ESAB, president of the National Gallery of Art, and the leading minority owner of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). His net worth was estimated by Forbes in mid-2024 to be $4.8 billion.

Louise Blouin Media was an art magazine and book publishing company based in New York City. Founded by Louise Blouin, it published the magazines Art+Auction, Gallery Guide and Modern Painters until 2020. It owns Somogy, a French art book publisher, and the databases Art Sales Index and Gordon's. Artinfo.com was launched in 2005 and later changed to blouinartinfo.com, which is now defunct.

<i>The Actor</i> (painting) Painting by Pablo Picasso

The Actor is an oil-on-canvas painting by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, created from 1904 to 1905. The painting dates from the artist's Rose Period. It is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

James Tomilson "Tom" Hill III is an American billionaire hedge fund manager, the former president and CEO of Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM), Blackstone Group's hedge funds business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galerie Gmurzynska</span>

Galerie Gmurzynska is a commercial art gallery based in Zurich, Switzerland, specializing in modern and contemporary art and work by the Russian avant-garde. It became a popular venue for international collectors seeking Russian art that was banned by the Soviet regime, and, according to Artnet, became the "go-to place for Russian art for international collectors".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knoedler</span> Defunct New York City art dealership

M. Knoedler & Co. was an art dealership in New York City founded in 1846. When it closed in 2011, amid lawsuits for fraud, it was one of the oldest commercial art galleries in the US, having been in operation for 165 years.

Nikolai Ivanovich Khardzhiev was a Ukrainian writer, literary and art collector. He possessed an extensive archive and collection of Russian Avantgarde art and literature.

Helly Nahmad is an American art dealer and art collector. In 2000, he founded the Helly Nahmad Gallery in Manhattan, New York, which holds several fine art exhibitions each year featuring artists such as Pablo Picasso, Chaïm Soutine, Francis Bacon, and Giorgio de Chirico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Winter (artist)</span>

Christopher Winter is an English contemporary artist. In addition to painting and drawing, both abstract and figurative, Winter also makes video and sculpture. His work interprets contemporary reality and reactions to modern life.

ONE: Union of the Senses is a mural by American artist José Parlá on display in the lobby of One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City. Commissioned in 2014, the painting was completed and installed in 2015. Measuring 90 feet wide, the painting is believed to be the largest painting in New York City.