Cover Photo by Patrick Tourneboeu

French billionaire François Pinault, founder of Kering, will open a contemporary art museum near the Louvre

A fixture within the French art scene, François Pinault is making headlines with his new private museum in Paris, Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection, set to open in June 2020. 

With a net worth estimated at US$35 billion, the 85-year-old museum owner is the world’s 22nd richest man, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The French collector, whose family’s holding company Artemis S.A owns British auction house Christie’s, is also the founder of international luxury group Kering, which owns brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Brioni and Pomellato.

Currently owns two other museums in Venice—the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana, Pinault's third museum in Paris is expected to showcase artworks from his over 40 years of collection by artists such as Cindy Sherman, Albert Oehlen, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Louise Bourgeois. As we await more details about the $170 Million museum, here’s everything we know.

See also: Top 10 Countries With The Most Billionaires In 2019

Tatler Asia
Above Photo by Patrick Tourneboeu

The location

Pinault’s private museum will be housed in the 130-year-old Bourse de Commerce, Paris’ former stock exchange, which will reopen as contemporary art museum near the Louvre and  the Pompidou Centre. 

Collaborative efforts with neighbouring art spaces are well under way, Pinault told New York Times earlier this year, that he wants his museum to “complement” Paris’ existing institutions.

See also: How Binod Chaudhary Became Nepal's Only Billionaire

The cost

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Bourse de Commerce

Owned by the city of Paris, the 19th-century, glass-domed architecture is granted to Pinault with a 50-year lease that costs more than US$16 million. 

The operation cost of the 30,000-square-foot museum will be funded by Pinault, who promises the city a percentage of the museum’s turnover in the first two years of its opening.

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Bourse de Commerce

The design

The Bourse de Commerce is being transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who also designed Pinault’s museums in Venice. 

The restoration will turn the former stock exchange into seven exhibition galleries on the first floor, a black-box space for experimental visual and sound works as well as a 300-seat auditorium.

Find our more at boursedecommerce.en

See also: Billionaire Shipping Tycoon Anto Marden’s US$15 Million Yacht Is For Sale

Other museums owned by billionaires

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton Foundation

Louis Vuitton Foundation by Bernard Arnault 

Located inside Bois de Boulogne park in Paris, the art museum displays LVMH group’s art collection and provides a platform for diverse cultural programmes.

fondationlouisvuitton.en

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art by George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson

Founded by the father of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the museum is under construction in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, featuring new public green space, state-of-the-art cinematic theatres, a research library, spaces for onsite education, restaurants, retail, and event spaces.

lucasmuseum.org

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Fondazione Prada

Fondazione Prada by Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli

A cultural complex dedicated to art, cinema and philosophy, Fondazione Prada in Milan boasts 118,000 square feet of exhibition space, four-storey building covered in 24-carat gold leaf. 

fondazioneprada.org

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of K11 MUSEA

K11 MUSEA by Adrian Cheng

Founded by Tatler Lister Adrian Cheng, K11 MUSEA is the latest cultural-retail destination where creativity meets experiential retail at Tsim Sha Tsui's Victoria Dockside.

k11musea.com

See also: K11 MUSEA Opens In Hong Kong: Here's What You Need To Know

Topics