D he art consultant Helge Achenbach is his relationship with the billionaire Berthold Albrecht as “male bonding” is. “We got along very well,” says Achenbach, 62, in court. He is accused of cheating on the 2012 deceased heirs Albrecht Aldi. You have geduzt and met with the wives. Regularly have invited friends in his Monkey’s restaurants in Dusseldorf Achenbach. After dinner Albrechts wife was mostly gone shopping, and that he had spoken with her husband in a cigarette down to business.
In tears, told Germany’s most famous art consultant Achenbach on the dock at the Essen district court of his personal and business relationship with Albrecht. It is not just a partial confession, but also a report on a well unequal friendship. Here is a man who came for a social studies in the arts scene and a successful Kunstberatung built, there merchant and billionaire heir to a discounter Empire
Shopping spree for Aldi heirs
The prosecution alleges Achenbach of having cheated at Albrecht art and vintage car sales of around 23 million euros. Therefore Achenbach is now before the courts. Triggered was the affair by a complaint by Albrecht Widow Babette.
About about three years went Achenbach for Albrecht on a shopping spree and gave him art from Picasso and Kirchner to Roy Lichtenstein and Gerhard Richter. The agreed five percent commission did not cover the replacement cost after presentation but Achenbach. Because he had Albrecht been a risky return guarantee – four percent interest rate. And then also written nor the restaurants Achenbach faced were the famous apes his artist friend Jörg Immendorff losses.
“Did not want to appear stingy”
So be it to “fall” down. Two images of Kokoschka and Kirchner he had changed the purchase invoices and the prices set by hand upward. “Collagen” called Achenbach the manipulated bills – an art-historical concept art from sticking together various scraps of paper
The end result was a on the “Collage”, the Achenbach forwarded to Albrecht, no more. purchase price of 795,000 euros, but 1.2 million euros. “I know that was wrong,” says Achenbach. He believes that Albrecht had even accepted the charge, if he had openly talked to him about it. Later Achenbach says. “I did not want to appear stingy because Berthold towards me was always generous”
are bonuses of nearly 200,000 euros
Achenbach also a rare open insight into the non-transparent pricing and collusion between galleries, dealers, artists and even museums on the hyped art market. In the Richter Painting “Maria”, paid 4.5 million euros for the Albrecht, he had the “profit” in the amount of 750,000 euros shared with the responsible gallery says Achenbach. “Had the five-percent rule in force, I would have had no intrinsic merit.” A sculpture by Tony Cragg had gone for 400,000 Euros to Albrecht. He had agreed with the artist, to share the “profit”. According to the prosecutor, the premium on almost 200,000 euros.
Another judge painting Albrecht have purchased directly from the gallery, Achenbach said. Nevertheless Achenbach conceded a commission – this time from the gallery, because he had to be picked up and deliver the work. In the end, but can be a sentence listen up: Achenbach emphasized that the art collection in the Albrecht had invested around 50 million euros, according to his estimate is 80 million worth today
Well went. Business with vintage cars – an industry that Achenbach initially did not know. “I needed advice and contact, already substantial costs were connected.” But unlike some art sales Albrecht he makes no secret of the premiums. “I told him that it will not be possible to pass on the purchase price.” Ferrari, Bugatti, Mercedes bought a Achenbach. The friends even thought about building a museum. He was also a Jaguar should purchase for Albrechts wife. “He should be mimosa yellow.”
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