Jho Low selling prized art pieces at a loss

New York

MALAYSIAN financier Low Taek Jho has attracted attention for his flashy lifestyle and real estate deals, as well as his connections to the prime minister's family and the government's troubled investment fund.

Now he is creating buzz in the art world. Since Feb 3, he has sold works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat, said three people who are familiar with the matter. The artworks fetched about US$54 million, with unusually steep losses on at least two of them.

The artworks he consigned were among the top lots at Sotheby's evening auction of Impressionist, modern and contemporary art in London this mo…