The jet set, teeming with eccentric and wealthy personalities, counts Jocelyne Wildenstein among its most emblematic figures. First wife of billionaire Alec Wildenstein, horse breeder and French art dealer, to whom she was married from 1978 to 1999, this native of Lausanne established herself as a real star. Mainly known for her frequent use of cosmetic surgery, Jocelyne Wildenstein died in Paris at the age of 79, on December 31, 2024, as announced by her companion Lloyd Klein.
Since 2008, Jocelyne Wildenstein shared the life of French stylist Lloyd Klein, twenty-seven years her junior, and it was therefore the latter who revealed the very sad news. “Mrs. Wildenstein is died peacefully in her sleep (…) in his apartment in Paris, where the couple had taken temporary residence since August 2024”, specified the press release intended for the press, which lifts the veil on the death of the one nicknamed the “cat woman”. But since the sad announcement, the man added information during an interview with People magazine: “Because of his phlebitis, his legs were very, very swollen, the blood was blocked, and there was no oxygen to the brain.”. As previously reported by AFP, Wildenstein may have died of a pulmonary embolism, a condition in which a blood clot blocks blood flow to the lungs. As the Daily Mail points out, “This deadly condition is often caused by blood clots in the legs that travel to the lungs”.
Jocelyn Wildenstein in debt before her death
Some thought she was a billionaire. It must be said that after her divorce from Alex Wildenstein, the 79-year-old blonde had pocketed a colossal sum of money. However, if she claimed to have recently purchased an apartment “paid cash” in Miami Beach on the set of Jordan de Luxe recently, his finances would be much less rosy than one might have thought. Indeed, as specified by the Daily Mail, whose comments were reported by our colleagues from Paris Match, Jocelyn Wildenstein would have been summoned to court in Miami, in the American state of Florida, on October 23 for a debt matter. and having failed to appear, she would have been subject to an arrest warrant. And the magazine adds: “An American company, Regal Jewelry and Gift Shop, allegedly filed a complaint against Jocelyn Wildenstein in 2018, accusing her of having stolen $268,000 worth of precious stones from them. The socialite was reportedly ordered to reimburse them for this sum, to which she allegedly added $75,928 in interest, for a debt of $344,000.”
Nothing to panic “cat woman” who would never have paid off this enormous debt. Result ? Millarfaire's ex-wife would have been targeted by eviction proceedings from her Miami Beach apartment. According to the indictment order, obtained by our colleagues, the judge would have required that Jocelyn Wildenstein be placed in pre-trial detention in the event of arrest.
Where is the Wildensteins' immense fortune hidden?
For several generations the Wildensteins have been known for their role as art dealers. Over the decades, it was first Daniel then his sons Alec and Guy who contributed considerably to the family's fortune – reputed to be immense. At the heart of this priceless hoard? Thousands of paintings (we are talking about 10,000 works in 1978) from Picasso to Rembrandt via Bonard and Gaughin. Also passionate about racing, the Wildensteins invested a large part of their fortune in the purchase and maintenance of racehorses. Today, it is no longer Daniel, the father, who died in 2001, nor Alec, Jocelyn's ex-husband, who died in 2008, who manage the family's assets, but the latter's children with the “woman cat”, Diane and Alec Junior, as well as Guy, Alec's brother, now 79 years old. At the heart of numerous financial scandals in recent years, the Wildenstein fortune, and their art properties, remains a well-kept secret for many.
With the death of Jocelyn Wildensteinhe is also the only public figure of this enigmatic family who disappears. Having become famous thanks to her fortune and her excesses, the mother of the Wildenstein heirs was an exception in a family where discretion was always the ultimate watchword. Once a billionaire living the high life between Paris, New York and Kenya, where the family owns a huge ranch, Jocelyn died penniless in the City of Lights, leaving behind debts which will probably be paid off by her extremely wealthy offspring. But above all, by taking with her the secrets of a family that has often hit the headlines…
