Inigo Philbrick, a British-born art dealer, was once hailed as a prodigy of contemporary art dealing. He was later jailed for orchestrating one of the most audacious art frauds in recent memory.
Inigo Philbrick’s life reads like a Hollywood script. Dazzling peaks, a breathtaking betrayal, and a cast plucked directly from both the art scene and the covers of glossy magazines.
Previously celebrated as a prodigy of contemporary art trading, he ultimately became labelled a “mini Madoff”, imprisoned in America for masterminding one of the most brazen art swindles in living memory. Most recently, he returned to the spotlight for entirely different circumstances – discreetly wedding a socialite, with whom he has two youngsters.
Born in England but brought up in Connecticut, Philbrick appeared fated for the art realm. His father worked as a distinguished museum chief, his mother a Harvard-trained author.
Following studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, he honed his skills at Jay Jopling’s esteemed White Cube gallery. By his mid-20s, he had established a standing as a trader with a talent for contemporary art, especially pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Rudolf Stingel, reports the Express.
By 2013, he owned his own Mayfair gallery. Four years later, revenue reached $130million, and he branched out to Miami.
By that point, collectors already placed their faith in him, investors pursued him and he possessed a gift for profiting from the thriving secondary art market. Philbrick was the epitome of glamour, flaunting his lifestyle of private jets, £5,000 bottles of wine, and holidays with artist pals like Kenny Schachter.
His life took on a new level of glitz when he started dating Victoria Baker-Harber, one of the original stars of Made in Chelsea.
However, behind this glamorous facade lay a precarious house of cards. Prosecutors later revealed Philbrick had defrauded clients out of more than $86million (£60million) between 2016 and 2019.
His audacious methods included selling over 100% of ownership stakes in artworks without informing investors, using the same painting as collateral for multiple loans, forging documents such as Christie’s invoices, and inflating purchase prices to secure larger investments.
Artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Stingel were among those entangled in his fraudulent schemes. His victims ranged from seasoned collectors and advisers to financiers.
Even Schachter, once a friend, lost over $1.5m.
The fraud came to light in 2019, when rumours of dubious dealings became too loud to ignore. A lender demanded repayment of a $14million loan, leading to lawsuits from investors.
Philbrick made a dash for Vanuatu in the South Pacific, but his freedom was short-lived. In June 2020, US agents arrested him on the island, whisking him away from paradise to face justice in a New York courtroom.
When Judge Sidney Stein questioned his motives, Philbrick honestly replied: “For the money, your honour.”
By 2022, he was handed a seven-year prison sentence and ordered to repay $86m.
Prison life may have stripped away the glitz and glamour, but it didn’t sever his ties with Victoria Baker-Harber, who was expecting their daughter Gaia at the time of his arrest. The socialite, known for her sharp wit on E4 and upbringing in Belgravia, pledged her unwavering support.
She paid him visits, spoke about him on the show, and even made light of his prison attire, quipping “Orange is really not his colour.”
After serving two years, Philbrick was released on home detention. Shortly thereafter, in an intimate ceremony devoid of guests, he and Victoria tied the knot.
By 2024, he was sporting an electronic tag, raising a young family and, against all odds, given a second chance.
This spring, Victoria revealed they were expecting another child. Sharing a photo on Instagram of Gaia clutching ultrasound scans, she captioned it: “Big sister in the making..”
Their second daughter, Astra August Philbrick, arrived on May 5.
Now 37, Inigo doesn’t exactly exude regret. In a chat with The Sunday Times Magazine, he contended that his crimes stemmed from “ambition and greed” rather than ill-will.
“Look, I didn’t kill anyone,” he stated. “Nobody didn’t send their children to university. I don’t think that anyone in this whole story is guilty of much more than greed and ambition.”
The Great Art Fraud will be airing on BBC Two on 27 and 28 August and available on iPlayer.
