He was not only an actor, but also an entrepreneur – this is how the French agency AFP describes the figure of Alain Delon, who died at the age of 88. The journalists remind us that the artist amassed a fortune, but the size of his legacy remains a mystery.
For 15 years, the actor has been auctioning off his cars, art and wine collections. “I prefer to leave the money to my children,” he told AFP in 2017. Alain Delonadding that he hates “posthumous sales.”
Over the course of his career, along with his acting successes, Delon amassed a considerable fortune, also because he was a producer of about 30 films. He managed to effectively use the “Delon” brand and his own image. The production of luxury items turned out to be a success. Cigarettes, alcohol and perfumes bearing his name were sold in Asia. A luxury perfume brand used Delon's photos from the 1960s in its advertising.
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Alain DelonEPA/IAN LANGSDONG
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Delon was passionate about art. He began buying graphics in the 1960s. He collected sculptures, elite wine brands, and expensive watches. The scale of his wealth can be seen in the works of art he put up for sale before his death. For example, this is one of the paintings by Eugene Delacroix – the most outstanding representative of Romanticism in European art. Another canvas that belonged to Delon, painted by Raoul Dufy, was valued at over a million euros.
A dozen or so years earlier, when Delon first put his art collection up for auction, it included some 40 paintings from the 1950s. The auction broke several world records and brought in almost 9 million euros in profit.
Alain Delon is deadLaurent KOFFEL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Delon's quarreling children
In 2000, the actor became a citizen of Switzerland, known for its favorable taxation. He also had a property near Geneva. His other possible real estate assets remain a mystery, apart from the property in Douchy (Loiret region), where he settled several decades ago with his then partner Mireille Darc and where he lived until the end of his life.
Paris. The building where actor Alain Delon had one of the apartmentsEPA/MOHAMMED BADRA
Delon also collected weapons. Part of that arsenal – 72 pieces, including sporting weapons – was confiscated in Douchy back in February. There was a shooting range on the property, but Delon did not have a permit for the weapons and did not declare them.
The last year of the star's life was a time of “trench warfare” – as AFP writes – between his heirs. The actor's children fought a dispute over their father's medical care through lawyers. The case was covered by the media.
Delon's three children – Alain Fabien, Anouchka and Anthony – have also argued in recent years about the division of the star's estate after his death. However, the amount of Delon's inheritance is not known.
Main image source: EPA/IAN LANGSDONG