Real estate developer Harry Macklowe is leaving his wife Linda for a new girlfriend, according to a report.
If the split ends in divorce, it could shine a spotlight on the developer’s private wealth. The couple reportedly owns $1 billion worth of art. Linda, a Guggenheim Foundation board member, is widely considered the driving force behind the collection.
According to anonymous sources quoted by the New York Post, Harry Macklowe told Linda last week that he is leaving her for France native Patricia Landeau, who serves as president of the French Friends of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
This isn’t the first high-profile breakup in the Macklowe family. The couple’s daughter, Elizabeth, was in a five-year divorce battle with her now-ex husband, developer Kent Swig. They reached a divorce settlement in November, which gave Elizabeth the couple’s duplex on 740 Park Avenue.
Harry Macklowe has been a key player in New York’s real estate market since the 1980s. After defaulting on his loans and losing most of his properties, including the GM building, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the developer got back on his feet. He is currently developing the city’s tallest residential tower, 432 Park Avenue, in partnership with CIM Group and is working on a $1.5 billion residential conversion of Office Building One Wall Street. [NYP] — Konrad Putzier