As I began my day as usual,
worrying so about the problems of the rich & famous,
I discovered this overwhelmingly interesting
piece from The Wall Street Journal,
and the urge to share with you was simply irresistable
The Wealth Report
Robert Frank looks at the lives and culture of the wealthy.
April 21, 2010, 12:30 PM ET.
Rich Divorcee Selling Off Her Treasures
Patricia Kluge is having the yard sale of all yard sales this spring.
First, Sotheby’s is scheduled this week to auction off more than 200 pieces of jewelry from her collection, including a pair of platinum and diamond pendant-ear clips set with almost 64 carats of pear-shaped diamonds and estimated between $600,000 and $800,000.
Also included are some “fancy-intense” yellow diamonds, suites of sapphires and rubies, and a sapphire and diamond Panthère wristwatch from Cartier circa 1985. The watch is estimated between $100,000 and $150,000.
But that’s not all. Ms. Kluge is also selling the contents of her storied 45-room estate in Virginia, called Albermarle House, which is near Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Sotheby’s will auction off the contents of the house in June.
The sale items include Chinese paintings, rare books, sporting guns, jewelry, lighting and decorative objects and gowns by Lacroix and Givenchy.
The house itself is also for sale, at the newly reduced price of $48 million, down from $100 million a year ago.
Why is she ditching it all? Apparently not out of financial need. The famed socialite, who made a fortune from her divorce from billionaire media tycoon John Kluge, is now in the wine business and wants to downsize.
Her Virginia winery, Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard, is doing well and she’s planning to build a new home on the vineyard, which she says will more reflective of her “changing taste and more streamlined lifestyle,” according to Sotheby’s.
She also plans to travel more “so that she can enjoy her other homes.”
Downsizing, it seems, is all relative.
Go here for photos of the house:
http://www.luxist.com/2010/04/21/sothebys-first-home-auction-in-20-years/
Oh my what a house! If you can call it a house,that is... And you're very right. Downsizing is all relative. Nice life :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteI have no words for this one. Streamlined for some reason doesn't jump into my mind.
ReplyDeleteAhh...you must love the ultra rich, confused and out of touch!!! They do at least entertain!
ReplyDeleteAs they say, lifestyles of the rich and famous; not your ordinary yard sale ! Maybe she will want New art!
ReplyDeleteKarena
Art by Karena
Beautiful things and beautiful homes, but aparently not a happy home- I just hate divorce for what it does to homes and lives!
ReplyDeleteDownsizing- that is not exactly what I would call it. Suddenly I feel like my mother!
Yvonne
Oh my God! How tragic that all of her valuables and provate life is being publicized this way. I wouldnt mind putting a hand on those jewels though:) ...xxx LZ
ReplyDeleteholy. cow.
ReplyDeletedavid easton is the king of taste though. gorgeous furnishings and her grounds are amazing.
but the whole thing of auctioning off personal things while you are still alive just ......i don't know.....just uneasy.
I'll never understand why the super rich have super size houses. I'd certainly have a mega size lot, but a house that you could get lost in, no.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she absolutely needed this size house for guests to stay overnight when they came to her rural abode, you know like the cottages in Newport?
ReplyDeleteHa this is awesome or should I say fascinating. Great post... great blog. Have a great weekend. :) Erica
ReplyDeletehttp://moth-design.blogspot.com/
Give me a break.....
ReplyDeleteI was upset about $175 to clean my teeth.
What a lawn sale that will be. I'd like to be a fly on the fence to see that.
yvonne