A newly released document from the Department of Justice’s Jeffrey Epstein files has linked billionaire collector Leon Black to a $27.7 million inventory of Southeast Asian antiquities, some of which may be looted. The records indicate that Black acquired high-value Cambodian, Thai, and Vietnamese artifacts, including a $7 million bronze Shiva sculpture that matches the description of a piece handled by the late, indicted antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. While Black’s representatives state he never dealt with Latchford directly and acquired the works through a reputable dealer, correspondence suggests Latchford was involved in facilitating sales to Black through intermediaries.
This revelation matters because it connects one of the world’s most prominent art patrons—a trustee and former chair of the Museum of Modern Art—to the ongoing global investigation into the illicit trade of Khmer artifacts. As major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art continue to repatriate works linked to Latchford’s smuggling network, these files place renewed scrutiny on the provenance of private collections and the ethical responsibilities of high-profile trustees in the face of international heritage trafficking.