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Ezra Nahmad

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Ezra Nahmad
Born1945 (age 78–79)
Aleppo, Syria
Occupation(s)Art dealer and collector
Children4, including Helly Nahmad
Parent(s)Hillel Nahmad
Mathilde Safra
RelativesGiuseppe "Joseph" Nahmad (brother)
David Nahmad (brother)
Edmond Safra (cousin)

Ezra Nahmad (born 1945) is a Syrian-born billionaire art collector and dealer. He resides in Monaco, and has four children, including the British art dealer Helly Nahmad.[2]

In 2007, Forbes estimated that Ezra, together with his brother David have built an art collection worth $3–4 billion.[3]

Background

Ezra was born in Aleppo, Syria to a Syrian Jewish family. The roots of the Nahmad family are in Aleppo, where his father, Sephardic Jewish banker Hillel Nahmad lived until just after World War II .[2] Following the Syrian anti-Jewish violence in 1949, his father moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where Ezra and his brothers sold English novels to US sailors stationed in Lebanon. In the early 1960s, With the rise of Palestinian threat against the Lebanese Republic, Ezra's father took him and his brothers, Joseph (Giuseppe), David, to Milan, Italy. As teenagers, the three began to deal in art - and skipped school to trade on the Italian stock market.[2]

Career

Ezra's first career milestone is believed to have taken place at a Juan Gris exhibition in Rome, organized by cubist dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. Ezra and his brother bought two works – the only pieces sold. Kahnweiler befriended them, selling them works by Picasso, Braque, and Gris. With the emergence of the Red Brigades terror group in the 1970s, Milan was perceived as too dangerous, and the family moved again. Ezra and his brother Joseph headed for Monaco, and David to New York City.[4]

As of 2013, Ezra and his brother David are considered influential "mega-dealers" of modern and impressionist art by the most well-known names, from Monet and Matisse to Renoir and Rothko.[citation needed] They own an inventory of between 4,000 and 4,500 works, stored in the duty-free Geneva Freeport warehouse next to the airport in Geneva, Switzerland.[citation needed] The brothers buy and sell most of their works at auction.[citation needed]

Personal life

His son Helly Nahmad is a London-based art dealer. In 2007, his daughter Michaela Nahmad was "thought to be embarking on a career as an art dealer".[5]

References

  1. ^ "Forbes profile: Ezra Nahmad". Forbes. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Jackie Wullschlager. "Lunch with the FT: Helly Nahmad". Financial Times. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Sarah Cascone (December 18, 2012). "Mega-Collector and Dealer Giuseppe Nahmad Died in November". Art in America. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  4. ^ "Gallerist Helly Nahmad Arrested For Suspected Gambling Related Money Laundering". April 17, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  5. ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/artsales/3670009/Market-news-graffiti-art.html
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