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Writer Somerset Maugham memorably summed up the Riviera as “a sunny place for gloomy people,” but that was in the old days.
In recent decades, it has taken on a darker tone, with Formula 1 champion Jenson Button and fashionista Trinny Woodall among those who were assaulted (and, they insist, gassed) in their sleep.
Now, I can reveal, the gangs have claimed one of their biggest scalps yet: Alexander Kraft, the man to whom Johnny Depp turned when, following his split from Amber Heard, he decided to sell his town in the south of France.
The ineffable Kraft style, who has amassed many millions thanks to the numerous companies he runs along with his role as CEO and sole shareholder of Sotheby’s International (Real Estate) France-Monaco, escaped an attack, but little else.
He arrived at his country house in Provence and found it “not only stolen but destroyed.”
Alexander Kraft arrived at his mansion in Provence, France, to find it burglarized and looted.
Kraft’s house was vandalized. Sotheby’s boss said it was ‘one of the biggest losses of my life’
A smashed painting on the bed and other damaged furniture.
Vandals also took artwork and smashed it into Kraft’s pool.
In a heartfelt message to his friends, Kraft, whose cars include an Aston Martin DB6, says it in powerful English. Fuck you, you damn criminals! he begins, describing what happened as “one of the biggest losses of my life, not only financially but emotionally as well.”
Explaining that being a victim of “theft or robbery is bad enough,” he says that having “over 25 years of passionate collecting and many (family) memories erased… is devastating.”
But something else surprised him even more: “the apparent degree of stupid vandalism.” What kind of animal throws unique works of art into the pool just for “fun”?
Kraft understandably refrains from listing what was looted. But, as well as being an art and automobile connoisseur, he is known for his watch collection, including an Art Deco Cartier pocket watch and a 1970s Rolex worth £420,000.
He believes his rarity presents an opportunity.
“The French FBI is already on the case,” says Kraft, who once had a Rolex stolen at knifepoint in Miami. “These hardened criminals will get what they deserve sooner rather than later.” That’s the spirit!
Zac’s fiancée Hum flashes sparkler
Since I revealed last month that Zac Goldsmith was so moved and moved by Hum Fleming that he had gotten down on one knee, the couple have not publicly confirmed their engagement.
However, at a family wedding over the weekend, the great-niece of James Bond author Ian Fleming was happy to show off the impressive sparkler gifted to her by the former Conservative minister.
Despite not officially announcing his engagement, Hum Fleming showed off the impressive sparkler that his fiancé, former Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, gave him.
Hum’s new ring. She will be the third wife of Lord Goldsmith, 49, and stepmother to his six children.
Hum, 34, a public relations executive in the fashion and lifestyle sector, will be the third wife of Lord Goldsmith, 49, and stepmother to his six children.
Last year, I revealed that the son of the late billionaire Sir James Goldsmith had split from his second wife, Alice Rothschild, 41, whom he married in 2013.
Stanbury’s daring surprise
Caroline Stanbury, who once said relationships died when they entered the “comfort zone,” has found a way to keep things spicy with her toyboy husband, Sergio Carrallo.
The socialite, 48, who is an old friend of Prince Andrew, organized a surprise party for his 30th birthday with the theme ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, based on Stanley Kubrick’s erotic psychological drama, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
Caroline Stanbury organized a surprise party for her 30th birthday with the theme ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, based on Stanley Kubrick’s erotic psychological drama.
“It was a night to remember,” Caroline says alongside this photo of the couple wearing masks.
Former soccer player Sergio, wearing a cape and little else, gushes: “I couldn’t feel more blessed.”
Candy superyachts for sale
Property tycoon Nick Candy has discovered that floating gin palaces can be just as lucrative as those on land.
Candy, 51, who is married to former pop star Holly Valance, has reported a €12.7m (£10.6m) profit from the sale of his superyacht, 11.11.
Property tycoon Nicky Candy has made a net profit of £10.6 million from the sale of his superyacht.
The 11.11 was built in 2015 by Italian yacht builder Benetti and won the World Superyacht Award in 2016.
The 207-foot-long boat was built in 2015 by Italian yacht builder Benetti and won the World Superyacht Award in 2016.
Candy said in 2020: “Over the last few years I’ve been contacted about selling it, but I’ve always said no.”
Stanley’s Butterfly Mission
Boris Johnson’s father Stanley has taken on a new challenge – saving Britain’s most endangered butterfly.
“High Brown Fritillary is very rare and only exists now in a couple of places in the south-west of England,” he tells me at the House Of Assets event at jewelery designer Theo Fennell’s studio in Chelsea.
Boris Johnson’s father Stanley is on a new mission to save the endangered High Brown Fritillary butterfly.
‘We’ve had them on my farm. You have to make sure that the habitat is suitable for them. They need green leaves of violets. Violets grow well under ferns, but not too much, so they need to be kept under control. To do that, I now have seven Exmoor ponies. They are wonderful. They help open paths through it.’
Sam Palmer’s American Breakfast Problems
He has moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Formula 1 heiress Petra Ecclestone, who is worth an estimated £300m, but Sam Palmer is not happy. The real estate agent complains that American restaurants don’t know how to serve breakfast.
Sam Palmer and Petra Ecclestone at the Maddox Gallery in Los Angeles in June 2019
“You’ve got bacon on a plate, mushrooms on a plate, eggs on a plate,” he laments. ‘I thought I’d be smart and ask, “Put it all on the same plate, please.” It came with all the different dishes on a plate. I almost exploded.’
And he adds: “Americans, when a Brit orders breakfast, they put everything on the same plate and they will never eat chicken sausages again, commoners.” Temperament, temperament…