Lifestyle of the Still Pretty Rich but Divorced

The fall art auctions (see post below) are said to rely on the three D's: death, divorce and debt. Divorce is the presumed motivator for Peter Brant to dispose of this six-panel painting by Basquet, "Brother Sausage." Christie's hopes it will sell for at least $9 million.


According to the Connecticut Post, Brant, who made his money in newsprint, is also closing down the polo team he supports on his Greenwich, CT "working farm." Yet the average ultra-high-net-worth individual wouldn't mind settling for Brant's somewhat diminished lifestyle.

Data from the Post article:

Brant's assets: $490 million.
His income, monthly: $1.552 million
Court-ordered alimony and child support, monthly: $370,000
Running expenses for farm, monthly: $500,000

Most trust and investment management groups serve folks who have a few million and, with luck, an occasional rich family with $20-30 million. That's far from the top of the heap, as stories like Brant's illustrate.