Bruno Bich, heir to Baron Bic's fortune and former president of the company specializing in ballpoint pens, sued his wife from whom he is separated. He accuses her of having kept works of art for her, particularly a portrait of Dora Maar painted in 1937 by Picasso, two canvases by Balthus, a collage by Dubuffet, a drawing by Warhol, and two sculptures by Alberto Giacometti which did not belong to him. The latter claimed in Delaware state court that Véronique Bich refused to return works of art worth several million dollars that she kept in two residences of the separated couple in New York and Paris, a total of 28 works. According to Bruno Bic, these works belong to a trust established in 1993 by Marcel Bich, his father and founder of the Bic company, adding that Véronique, from whom he has been separated since 2017, had never been designated as their beneficiary. The latter constantly demanded the return of these works but his wife never wanted to give in to his request, arguing that they should be shared as part of a separation or separation agreement. By taking legal action in Delaware, Bruno Bic, therefore, sought to obtain that the trust be declared as the sole owner of the works and that Véronique, therefore, had no right to keep or sell them.
© Adrian Darmon