Inigo Philbrick, an art dealer who went to prison for defrauding other dealers and investors out of millions of dollars, spoke to the BBC for a forthcoming documentary.
In 2022, Philbrick was sentenced to seven years in US prison, with two years of supervised release and a forfeiture of $86 million and two paintings, for wire fraud and identity theft. He was released early in 2024, having not served less than half his sentence.
Next week, the BBC will released a two-part documentary called The Great Art Fraud, in which Philbrick himself appears on camera. The Guardian got an early look at the film, reporting that in it, Philbrick says, “I’m obviously in no position to do anything other than say how sorry I am. But there is a small part of me that thinks: what about all the good deals?”
When asked about the $86 million he gained, Philbrick reportedly claims not only that he doesn’t have it, but that he doesn’t know where the money is.
The documentary delves into Philbrick’s biography. He grew up in Connecticut as the son of a former museum director and a Harvard-educated writer and artist, and later interned with White Cube gallery in London.
The BBC is also highlighting his life with his wife, the Made in Chelsea socialite Victoria Baker-Harber. Before his conviction, Philbrick had fled Britain and hid out with Baker-Harber on the Pacific island Vanuatu. He was later arrested there by the FBI. They now have two children together.
In the documentary, Philbrick says he still has “the ambition is to get back to doing what I was doing. I was a great art dealer.”
