
Alec N. Wildenstein Biography: Wife, Children, Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Cause of Death
Alec Nathan Marcel Wildenstein (5 August 1940 – 18 February 2008) was a French-American billionaire businessman renowned for his leadership of the Wildenstein art empire and his success as a racehorse owner and breeder.
Born into a dynasty that had dealt in masterpieces since the 19th century, he inherited half of his father’s holdings in 2001, propelling him into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
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- Full name: Alec Nathan Marcel Wildenstein
- Date of birth: 5 August 1940
- Age: 67 years old at the time of death
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
- State of origin: Provence
- Nationality: French and American
- Profession: Art dealer; racehorse owner and breeder
- Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
- Eye color: Brown
- Hair color: Brown
- Parents: Daniel Wildenstein and Martine Julie (Kapferrer) Wildenstein
- Siblings: Guy Wildenstein
- Spouse: Jocelyne Périsset (m. 30 April 1978 – div. 1999); Liouba Stoupakova (m. c. 2000)
- Children: Diane Wildenstein, Alec Wildenstein Jr.
- Relationship status: Widowed (died 18 February 2008)
- Religion: Christianity
- Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish descent
- Net worth: Approximately US$5 billion at the time of death (inherited half of a family empire estimated at US$10 billion)
Early Life and Education
Alec Wildenstein was born on 5 August 1940 in Marseille, France, to Daniel Wildenstein, a noted Impressionist scholar and art dealer, and Martine Julie (Kapferrer) Wildenstein.
Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to New York City, where the Wildenstein gallery solidified its position among the world’s preeminent art dealers.
He grew up alongside his brother Guy, immersed in the rhythms of gallery life and the study of masterworks. Specific records of his schooling, institutions attended, graduation dates, and fields of study are not public, though he would have received private and elite preparatory education typical for his social milieu.
Personal Life
In 1977, Swiss socialite Jocelyne Alice Périsset visited the family’s Ol Jogi ranch in Kenya, where she and Alec met; they eloped to Las Vegas and married on 30 April 1978, later welcoming daughter Diane and son Alec Jr.
Their marriage ended in a widely publicized divorce finalized in 1999 amid disputes over spending and allegations concerning his wife’s cosmetic surgeries. Around 2000, Alec married Russian-born model Liouba Stoupakova, who survived him after he died in 2008.
Career
Upon his father Daniel’s death in 2001, Alec inherited half of a family art empire estimated at US$10 billion, becoming co-head of PaceWildenstein Gallery with his brother Guy. Under his stewardship, the gallery maintained its reputation for dealing in Old Masters and Impressionist works.
He developed a celebrated racing operation, Écurie Wildenstein, hiring trainers such as Élie Lellouche for flat racing and Jean-Paul Gallorini for steeplechase. His horses—Bright Sky, Aquarelliste, Westerner, and Vallée Enchantée—won prestigious races including the Prix de Diane, Ascot Gold Cup, and Hong Kong Vase.
Net worth
At the time of his death, Alec Wildenstein’s net worth was estimated at US$5 billion, derived primarily from his 50 percent share of the Wildenstein family art business and revenues from his racehorse breeding and ownership operations.
Death
Alec Wildenstein died on 18 February 2008 in Paris, France, following a long illness. His death was attributed to prostate cancer.
Controversy
His divorce from Jocelyne Wildenstein in 1999 became an international spectacle: revelations emerged that he had publicly criticized his wife’s extensive plastic surgeries and, during a confrontation in their Manhattan home, allegedly threatened her with a firearm, an incident that led to a brief jail stay.
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