Sotheby’s Wins New York Fraud Trial Against Rybolovlev: Jury Sides with Auction House

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The civil fraud trial between Sotheby’s and Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev has come to a close, with a verdict in favor of Sotheby’s on all counts. The jury dismissed charges related to the private sales of four works, including the controversially reattributed “Salvator Mundi” and paintings by Klimt, Magritte, and Modigliani. The trial focused on whether Sotheby’s had assisted in fraud through its interactions with Swiss dealer Yves Bouvier. While Sotheby’s was not awarded compensatory damages, the verdict was seen as a victory for ethical standards in the art market. Rybolovlev has a history of fraud accusations against Bouvier, but settled all matters with him in 2023. The trial against Sotheby’s represented Rybolovlev’s final chance for financial redress, but ultimately ended with Sotheby’s emerging victorious. It remains to be seen if Rybolovlev will appeal the decision.

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