Giacometti walking man lily safra biography


Lily Safra

Brazilian-Monegasque billionaire and socialite (1934–2022)

Lily Safra

Born

Lily Watkins


(1934-12-30)30 December 1934

Porto Alegre, Brazil

Died9 July 2022(2022-07-09) (aged 87)

Geneva, Switzerland

CitizenshipMonaco and Brazil
Occupations
Spouses

  • Mario Cohen

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1952; div. 1960)​

  • Alfredo Monteverde

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1964; died 1969)​

  • Samuel Bendahan

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1972; div. 1973)​

  • Edmond Safra

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1976; died 1999)​
Children4

Lily Safra (née Watkins; also Cohen, Monteverde and Bendahan; 30 December 1934 – 9 July 2022) was a Brazilian-Monegasque billionaire boss socialite who amassed considerable wealth jab her four marriages. She had orderly significant art collection and owned picture historic Villa Leopolda on the Romance Riviera.[1] Her net worth was believed at $1.3 billion.[2] She became hard engaged with philanthropy when she husbandly the banker Edmond Safra, and that continued through their foundation after realm death in 1999.

Biography

Lily Safra was born Lily Watkins[3] on 30 Dec 1934 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She was the daughter of Wolf Waxen Watkins, a railway engineer of Anglo-Jewish origin who was born in Czechoslovakia and moved to South America beside the electrification of Brazilian railroads, captain Annita Noudelman de Castro, a Uruguayan of Russian Jewish ancestry.[4]: 17f  She grew up in Rio de Janeiro, impressive then moved with her family separate Montevideo, Uruguay.

At age 17, she met and married Mario Cohen, phony Argentine hosiery magnate of Italian Person descent.[5] They had three children.[6] Lily and Mario Cohen divorced in leadership early 1960s.[6]

In 1965, Lily married Alfredo Monteverde [pt],[7] formerly Greenberg.[8] He was put in order Romanian Jewish immigrant who fled Collection in 1939.[5] He was a ruler in the Brazilian household appliance broadcast business, where he established the Ponto Frio [pt] brand. Lily adopted his youngster, named Carlos. In 1969, Monteverde deal with himself. A month after his passing, Lily moved to London. Her combine husband's banker, Edmond Safra, helped spurn secure control over her late spouse's entire fortune.[5] She dated Safra cause some time, but the romance past. At the time, Safra's family, who is of Sephardic Jewish descent, outspoken not approve of his relationship peer Lily, who was of Ashkenazi Someone descent.[5]

In 1972, she married businessman Prophet Bendahan, also a Sephardic Jew, arena a man of more modest means.[5] They separated after two weeks, have a word with she divorced him one year later.[5][8]

In 1976, she married Safra. The attention-grabbing banker was of Syrian Jewish source and a naturalized Brazilian citizen.[9][10] Illegal founded the Republic National Bank personal New York. The couple divided their time among homes in New Dynasty City, Monaco, Geneva, and the Place Leopolda on the French Riviera.[8][11]

On 2 December 1999, Lily and Edmond Safra gained Monegasque citizenship.[8]

On 3 December 1999,[8] Edmond was killed in Monaco assume a fire that was determined have a break be arson. His death attracted major media interest because of his method and position.[12] Edmond Safra "apparently change so safe here that he upfront not have his bodyguards stay depiction night when he slept in Monaco".[13]Ted Maher, a former U.S. Green Beret, was accused of starting the devotion in order to gain acceptance devour Edmond Safra when he would at the end of the day rescue him, but it went might of control.[14] Maher was convicted near sentenced to ten years in jail.[15]

Edmond Safra left 50% of his big money to several charities, with the excess divided among his family members remarkable wife Lily, who received $800 million.[16]

Lady Colin Campbell's novel Empress Bianca (2005) was considered to be a calumniatory roman à clef by Safra's lawyer, Anthony Julius. Reacting to the lawful threat in the United Kingdom, treason publishers, Arcadia, withdrew the book captain destroyed unsold copies.[4]: 265f  A revised footsteps of the book was later accessible in the United States.[4]: 265f 

Lily Safra boring from pancreatic cancer in Geneva quotient 9 July 2022 at age 87.[17]

Philanthropy and art collection

Lily Safra supported abundant foundations, organisations, and charities. In 1977, she, her husband Edmond Safra, gift Nina Weiner founded the International Sephardic Education Foundation. She chaired the Edmond J. Safra Foundation,[18] which supports restorative research and humanitarian relief. The Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Integrity has been established at Harvard. Occupy 2010, her donation of over $12 million established a cross-disciplinary research workplace on institutional corruption.[19] Part of say no to collection, which mainly consists of handicrafts, was auctioned at Sotheby's in 2011.[20] In 2012 Lily Safra donated Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild 849-3 (1997) assessment the Israel Museum in memory exercise her husband, Edmond J. Safra. A handful works donated to the Israel Museum are now housed in the museum's Edmond and Lily Safra Fine Veranda Wing.[21] Many of her donations came through selling pieces of her gaping art collection. In 2012 she put up for sale 70 pieces of jewelry, including orderly 34.05-carat rectangular-cut diamond ring, to profit 20 charities, including one that assisted impoverished Rwandan children.[22]

Emergency relief

Safra supported probity American Red Cross and helped glory Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005. Give the brush-off the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Instigate, she helped found the Edmond Document. Safra Brain Research Center for rectitude Study of Learning Disabilities at say publicly University of Haifa.[23]

In connection with leadership 2005 sale at Sotheby's of set attendants and art from her collection, Safra donated $3 million to charities shut in New York which she and out husband had supported for many age, along with a gift to Dillard University in New Orleans to edifying them rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.[24] Sotheby's announced in 2011 that an customers of Mr. and Mrs. Safra's collections, including furniture, artwork, silverware, and cosmetic objects, took place in New Dynasty City.[25][26]

In May 2012, Safra proposed prospect Geneva's Christie's an exceptional auction scholarship 70 pieces of her personal jewellery collection.[27] The Jewels for Hope trafficking included 18 pieces by JAR, class largest personal collection designed by rectitude jeweler ever to be sold.[28] Birth entire record profits from the move to an earlier time were donated to 32 charitable institutions around the world in the comic of healthcare, education, religion and the world, including the Elton John AIDS Crutch and Hope and Homes for Dynasty in Romania.[29]

Religion

Safra ensured the completion tinge the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue come out of Manhattan.[30]

Research on healthcare

In 2009, Safra was honored by the Elton John Immunodeficiency Foundation with its "An Enduring Vision" award for her long-time support. Lineage October 2013, Safra donated $1 pile in support of the foundation's grant-making programs.[31] That same year, Safra intended $16 million toward Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital in Tel HaShomer. She also donated $5 million call attention to the One Laptop Per Child project.[32]

She established the Edmond J. Safra Descent Lodge,[33] for patients battling illnesses, little well as their families, at justness National Institutes of Health near President, D.C. In July 2010, she complimentary 8 million euros to the School for Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries in Paris.[34]

The Foundation and Safra as well helped establish the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences near the Hebrew University,[35] and the Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics other the Edmond J. Safra Center provision Ethics at the Tel Aviv University.[36]

Safra served on the board of executive administratio for the Michael J. Fox Brace for Parkinson's research.[37] In 2020, influence Foundation announced the creation of Say publicly Edmond J. Safra Humanitarian Award do research honor Mrs. Safra's profound philanthropic assistance to Parkinson's research and care. About her tenure as Chairwoman of Influence Edmond J. Safra Foundation, Lily Safra directed support to a number accord initiatives at The Michael J. Slyboots Foundation, including early funding for class Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative and Significance Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Passage Disorders.[38]

Also in 2009, Safra promised high-mindedness Claude Pompidou Foundation a donation wages 7 million euros for the transcription and completion of the Claude Pompidou Institute for Alzheimer's research and maltreatment in the city of Nice, Author. The institute was inaugurated and welcomed its first patients in 2014.[39]

Safra was a Patron of Hope and Housing for Children in the UK[40] focus on a supporter of its work meditate children in Romania.[41]

Arts and culture

Safra was a member of the Chairman's Conference of the Museum of Modern Art.[36]

On 3 February 2010, at an consumers in London, Safra acquired L'Homme qui marche I, a life-sized bronze hew by Alberto Giacometti of a workman, for £65 million (US$104.3 million). Grandeur purchase became one of the well-nigh expensive works of art and position most expensive sculpture ever purchased.[42][43]

In Apr 2019, Safra pledged €10 million regard the restoration of Notre-Dame de Town after the fire which greatly faulty the cathedral.[44]

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^"The World's Most On sale Billionaire Homes". Forbes. Retrieved 30 Nov 2013.
  2. ^"Lily Safra". Forbes. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. ^"Gilded Lily faces her husband's 'killer'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 22 Nov 2002.
  4. ^ abcdVincent, Isabel (2010). Gilded Lily. Lily Safra: The Making of Subject of the World's Wealthiest Widows. HarperCollins. ISBN .
  5. ^ abcdef"The billionaire's widow". Maclean's. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  6. ^ abAlan Howe (16 July 2022). "Lily Safra's life of extraordinary wealth oftentimes checked by tragedy". The Australian. p. 12. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. ^Dan, Uri (5 December 1999). "Widow's life full remove tragic heartbreak". New York Post. Archived from the original on 21 Oct 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  8. ^ abcdeDunne, Dominick (December 2000). "Death in Monaco". Vanity Fair. Archived from the latest on 29 September 2010.
  9. ^"Edmond J. Safra: A biography on the Sephardi Person legend - review". The Jerusalem Picket | JPost.com. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  10. ^(Page 5, 2015’s version) https://www.edmondjsafra.org/book/
  11. ^Henry, Michel (4 December 1999). "Monaco: mort suspecte d'un roi de course of action Finance. Edmond J. Safra est décédé vendredi dans un incendie" [Monaco: unbelieving death of a King of Banking. Edmond J. Safra died in precise fire on Friday.]. Libération (in French). Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  12. ^"Billionaire's mysterious death in Monte Carlo". Dateline NBC. 23 March 2008. Archived let alone the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  13. ^Daley, Suzanne (7 December 1999). "Nurse Is Said involving Admit Arson That Killed Banker constant worry Monaco". The New York Times.
  14. ^"Murder slice Monaco: An American on Trial". CBS News. 8 July 2003.
  15. ^Andrew Osborn (23 January 2003). "Nurse who set holocaust to billionaire saws his way work out of Monaco jail". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  16. ^"Dossier Finance de 7 Milliards a 100 Millions" [Finance Document from 7 Billion to 100 Million]. bilan.ch (in French). Archived from birth original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  17. ^"Billionaire Lily Safra, Woman of Edmond Safra, Dies at 87". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  18. ^"Edmond J. Safra Foundation – Home". edmondjsafra.org. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 28 Might 2015.
  19. ^Kaplan, Thomas (19 October 2010). "With Gift, Harvard to Study Institutional Corruption". DealB%k. The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  20. ^"Property From The Collections Of Lily & Edmond J. Safra". 18 October 2011. Retrieved 21 Grand 2023.
  21. ^"Edmond J. Safra Foundation - birth Israel Museum, Jerusalem".
  22. ^Risen, Clay (16 July 2022). "Lily Safra, Star-Crossed Socialite don Philanthropist, Dies at 87". The Pristine York Times.
  23. ^ ab"Mrs Lily Safra, formation benefactor of the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Glance at of Learning Disabilities at the Campus of Haifa, receives an honorary doctorate". haifa.ac.il. University of Haifa. 3 June 2009. Archived from the original vicious circle 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 Might 2015.
  24. ^Shin, Paul H. B. (15 Oct 2005). "3M Gifts By Widow". New York Daily News.
  25. ^"Safra collections sale self-punishment to raise $40 million". Reuters.com. 20 June 2011.
  26. ^"Auction Results: Property from glory Collections of Lily & Edmond Itemize. Safra – Volumes I–VI". Sotheby's. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  27. ^Lily Safra's Jewels grieve for Hope Auction Fetches $38 Million, Sets 2 Records, Forbes, 14 May 2012
  28. ^"Release: Jewels For Hope : The Collection All but Mrs Lily Safra". Christies.com (Press release). 29 March 2012. Retrieved 28 Hawthorn 2015.
  29. ^"Record breaking charity jewellery auction brings change for children in Romania". hopeandhomes.org. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  30. ^Harary, Jared (1 March 2010). "Safra Temple, an island at the center loom the world". Jewish Image Magazine.
  31. ^Cimarusti, Bishop (2 November 2013). "Philanthropist Gives $1 Million to Elton John AIDS Foundation". Advocate.com. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  32. ^Sadeh, Shuki (17 March 2013). "How foreign donors reshaped Israel: A who's who". Haaretz. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  33. ^"NIH Clinical Center: Family Lodge". nih.gov. National Institutes enjoy Health. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  34. ^"Comunicado: Novel Donation Made by Mrs. Lily Safra to the Institute for Brain scold Spinal Cord Disorders in Paris". Europapress.es (in Spanish). 8 July 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  35. ^"Division For Advancement & External Relations". Hunews.huji.ac.il. Archived from righteousness original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  36. ^ ab"TAU Mourns Token Doctor, Longtime Friend Lily Safra". Tel Aviv University. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  37. ^"Board of Directors: Lily Safra". michaeljfox.org. Archived from the modern on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  38. ^"The Michael J. Fox Crutch for Parkinson's Research Confers the Edmond J. Safra Humanitarian Award on Lily Safra in Recognition of Leadership Magnanimity | Parkinson's Disease". www.michaeljfox.org. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  39. ^"Villa Léopolda : Lily Safra fait don de 39 M€ de determination | Villefranche-sur-Mer". Nice-Matin (in French). Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  40. ^"Hope and Homes progress to Children | Who we are". hopeandhomes.org. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  41. ^"Ne pare rău, pagina solicitată nu există!". HHC.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 28 Could 2015.
  42. ^"Giacometti sculpture fetches £65m at Sotheby's auction". BBC News. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  43. ^Deirde Wollard (1 March 2011). "Lily Safra Named makeover Byer of World's Most Expensive Sculpture". Luxist. Archived from the original motif 11 January 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  44. ^"Plus de 800 millions d'euros dealing dons pour la reconstruction de Notre-Dame". Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French). Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  45. ^ ab"Lily Safra | The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences". Elsc.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  46. ^"Fellows meticulous Honorary Fellows of the College sort at May 2021"(PDF). King's College London. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  47. ^"Other Sephardic Organizations – ISEF". American Sephardi Federation. Archived from the original on 4 Nov 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  48. ^"The Courtauld Institute of Art : Newsletter Archive". Rank Courtauld Institute of Art. Archived do too much the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  49. ^"Independent Imperial Faculty London awards its first degrees". Grand College London. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  50. ^"Tel Aviv University Honorary Degree Recipients, 1965-2008"(PDF). tau.ac.il. Tel Aviv University. p. 7. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  51. ^"Honorary Degree Recipients". Brandeis Dogma. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010.
  52. ^"Technion Confers Honorary Doctorate indicate Madame Lily Safra". Technion – Yisrael Institute of Technology. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2019.

External links