Gawker: steve wynn

Remainders: We Wish We Had a Picasso to Destroy

Doree Shafrir — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:10:23 EST

Tara Reid gets down and dirty with a couple of rappers at Sundance, thereby destroying all the hard work she's been doing on her image. Oh well. TMZ has the video, obvs. [TMZ]
The Committee to Protect Journalists alleges that Chechen police were involved in the contract killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. [NYT]
The paperwork you've been waiting for: The Steve Wynn-put-a-hole-in-the-Picasso lawsuit. [TSG]
Today, Star stays. [Radar]

Poke Your Own Picasso

Chris Mohney — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:15:57 EST

Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn may be suing Lloyd's of London to pay up for his self-damaged Picasso, and he may even be taking a courageous stand versus the whole insurance industry. But now you can own a tangential piece of the story yourself, as blogger Ironic Sans is auctioning a poster featuring Wynn's painting — Picasso's "Le R ve" — from a 1997 Christie's New York auction where the painting was sold for $48.4 million. (Not to Wynn; he bought it in 2001 from the anonymous Christie's purchaser for an undisclosed amount. A pretty good return on the $7,000 investment made in 1941 by Victor and Sally Ganz, whose collection the Christie's event was selling off.) Ironic Sans promises that the poster, going for a mere $0.000012 million as of this writing, remains unpunctured by the elbow of Steve Wynn or any other elbow. What you poke it with after purchase is your own affair.

Have your own millionaire Picasso experience [Ironic Sans]

Steve Wynn Sues for Picasso-Poke Cash

Chris Mohney — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:40:57 EST

Back in October of last year, we ran a little guessing game about who had leaked the story of Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn poking a hole in his Picasso painting just before he was about to sell it for $139 million. Now, Wynn is suing insurer Lloyd's of London in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, attempting to make them expedite processing of his claim for $54 million in lost value. (Apparently, Picasso's "Le R ve" is still worth $85 million even with the hole.) Lloyd's wants Wynn to formally name the depreciation figure first, after which they'll "agree or disagree." A restraining order has been issued versus Wynn's extremities for the duration of the restoration.

Mogul files lawsuit over a Picasso [AP]

Earlier: Max Bernstein: No Leak I

Max Bernstein: No Leak I

Chris Mohney — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 18:18:02 EDT

Wynn-Picasso leak update: After favorite suspect Jacob Bernstein came forward to say it was actually his poker- and punk-playing brother Max (pictured) that their mother Nora Ephron had told about Steve Wynn poking his Picasso, we added Max to the suspect poll. This cleverly spread out the Bernstein suspicion among the two brothers, leading to Barbara Walters taking the lead. Now Max writes in to defend himself as well, and he brings a new character into the scenario — Arianna Huffington:

Max in Arianna Huffington's office here. My mother (Nora Ephron) will use many kind adjectives to describe my brother Jacob, but "completely trustworthy" might not be one of them. However, I'm the one who was in Las Vegas and told no one, and am positive she did not tell my brother, so he's not the leaker.

So both Bernsteins claim innocence, leaving Walters, Republican beauty exec Georgette Mosbacher, and art dealers Serge & Tatiana Sorokko. But why would Max mention Arianna Huffington? Surely she doesn't have any connection to this, right? Wrong! Here's a photo of Arianna mugging with ... Georgette Mosbacher! In some ways, Huffington and Mosbacher are like opposite numbers, yin and yang — two powerful, rich, politically connected women, just on different sides of the aisle. How deep does the conspiracy go? Wheels within wheels. Trust no one! Poll continues below.

Earlier: Jacob Bernstein Gives Up His Brother
[Photo: In Utero]

Jacob Bernstein Gives Up His Brother

Chris Mohney — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:10:06 EDT

In response to our poll about who leaked the story of Steve Wynn mauling his Picasso, Jacob Bernstein himself writes:

Thrilled to be winning your contest, but as it turns out, I was not the "totally trustworthy" son mentioned in the item. That would be my brother Max, who actually was in Vegas that weekend because he plays poker (which I don't). So I learned about the whole thing, like the rest of the world, when it broke in Page Six.

Of course, that's just what you'd expect a leaker to say. Nevertheless, we're happy to spread the mantle of suspicion onto Max Bernstein as well. Poker player, eh? Shady business, that. Ergo, below is a new poll with all the usual suspects, plus both brothers Bernstein. Pick your preference to plug the leak.

Earlier: Steve Wynn Picasso Attack: Fix the Leak

Steve Wynn Picasso Attack: Fix the Leak

Chris Mohney — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:30:39 EDT

Yesterday, we expressed curiosity as to who might have leaked the story about Vegas casino boss Steve Wynn damaging his $139 million Picasso right before selling it. Witness to the event Nora Ephron claimed it was "very clear" who talked to Page Six, but she did not ID the leaker by name. We have our suspicions, and we admit to throwing out another Ephron quote a little disingenuously — the one where she told one of her sons about it, but that it wasn't a violation of the secrecy pact because her son is "completely trustworthy."

Several people correctly pointed out that one of Ephron's sons, Jacob Bernstein (from a previous marriage to Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein), is known for having supposedly leaked the identity of Watergate source "Deep Throat" while a nine-year-old at summer camp. Ergo, he's got a leaky history. Plus, he's also said to be great friends with Page Six's Paula Froelich. Other contestants preferred Georgette Mosbacher, redheaded Republican CEO of beauty corp Borghese, as the likely leak — she's besties with Page Six editor Richard Johnson. Barbara Walters explicitly denied being the leaker yesterday on The View, which could just be her way of throwing us off the trail. And just for kicks, one commenter pointed the finger at art dealers Serge and Tatiana Sorokko, presumably because they'd be aghast at Wynn's brutal treatment of his Picasso. Four suspects seems plenty, don't you think? So pick your perp.

Earlier: Who Leaked Steve Wynn's Picasso Attack?

Who Leaked Steve Wynn's Picasso Attack?

Chris Mohney — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:30:40 EDT

This is a big story about a small moment, but it comes with a big price tag, and a small question about that big story. When Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn poked his elbow through Picasso's "Le R ve," he accidentally scotched a $139 million deal he'd just clinched to sell the painting to hedge funder Steven Cohen. Wynn, who has little to no peripheral vision due to an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, was gesturing while explaining the painting's history to his guests. After living through the bizarre experience, Wynn asked his guests not to tell anyone about the accident until he had time to deal with it himself. However, ten days later, the news was leaked to the New York Post. Nora Ephron, who was one of those present, wrote about it for the Huffington Post, feeling she was liberated from the vow of silence after the New Yorker also wrote about the incident. So who broke the silence first? Ephron says, "It was very clear who had given Page Six the item, and it wasn't me." Would you cross a billionaire who laughs like the photo above? Suspects after the jump.

Ephron doesn't go into who else was present for the actual elbow assault. Besides Wynn himself, the Post claims that Ephron was there along with husband Nick Pileggi, broadcaster Barbara Walters, attorney David Boies and wife Mary, art dealer Serge Sorokko and wife Tatiana, New York social doyenne Louise Grunwald, Republican beauty czar Georgette Mosbacher, and financier Henry Silverman and wife Nancy. The New Yorker confirmed Ephron and Pileggi, the Boieses, Walters, and Grunwald. Ephron says that Wynn told his wife Elaine, and both Ephron and the New Yorker say Wynn called Cohen to give him the bad news and call off the sale, as well as Wynn's New York art dealer William Acquavella. Ephron admits that she violated the vow of silence soon after the painting was damaged, telling one of her sons about it (which son she doesn't say), but that it was not a security risk since "my son is completely trustworthy."

Ephron and the Post may know who leaked, but we'd like to know too. Our money's on Barbara Walters, just because. If you have a guess, educated guess, or completely unfounded suspicion, let us know at tips@gawker.com.

Cubist-Killer [NYP]
My Weekend in Vegas [HuffPo]
The $40-Million Elbow [New Yorker]
[Photo: Getty Images]