Exclusive: Sasan Ghandehari reluctant to share details of $10bn trust in row with Christie’s auction house
A high court battle over a Picasso painting has shone a light on the offshore financial structures of an Iranian-born businessman who paid for Nigel Farage’s £50,000 trip to Davos.
The details about Sasan Ghandehari, who funded Farage’s tickets to the summit, emerged in court papers about a £4m claim brought by a British Virgin Islands firm, which has accused Christie’s auction house of misrepresentation when it sold the art to it.
Ghandehari, a British citizen who is reported to have a $10bn (£7.3bn) family trust, is described in the original claim as a representative who arranged the deal for the firm, Brewer Management Corporation. A recent judgment shows that his wife, Yassmin Ghandehari, is “apparently the ultimate beneficial owner” of this BVI company.
In response, Christie’s has made a counterclaim for £16m, saying Ghandehari has failed to pay for the painting, called Femme dans un rocking-chair. It separately raised concerns that Brewer Management Corporation would be unable to pay costs for the legal case if awarded against them, and requested security.
