Jocelyn Wildenstein’s life was a whirlwind of glitz, wealth, drama, and heartbreak, but one of the most intense parts of her story was her troublesome marriage to Alec Wildenstein, a French billionaire and art dealer.
Alec, born on August 5, 1940, in Marseille, France, came from a family that built an art-world dynasty. The Wildenstein empire, started in the 19th century by Nathan Wildenstein, thrived under Alec’s father, Daniel, and later Alec himself. Known for its incredible collection of priceless art stored in vaults around the world, the family business, Wildenstein & Company, was a symbol of cultural and financial power.
Alec Wildenstein worked hard to modernize the company and keep it relevant in the changing art market. But while his career was impressive, his personal life—especially his marriage to Jocelyn—was full of chaos and drama.
Jocelyn Wildenstein’s Tumultuous Life With Ex-husband, Alec Wildenstein
Jocelyn Wildenstein married her first and only husband, Alec Wildenstein, in 1978 after a passionate fling. The Swiss socialite and French billionaire art dealer shared two children, Diane and Alec Jr., and lived a life of luxury among New York’s elite. However, their marriage deteriorated amidst Alec’s infidelity, his family’s tight financial control, and Jocelyn’s controversial plastic surgeries, which Alec publicly criticized. Their bitter 1999 divorce became an infamous story around the world, marked by Jocelyn’s record-breaking $2.5 billion settlement.
Jocelyn and Alec Wildenstein’s love story began in one of the most epic places imaginable—the massive 66,000-acre Wildenstein family ranch in Kenya. It was 1977, and Jocelyn, a Swiss socialite, caught Alec’s eye during a hunting trip in the Serengeti. Her impressive shooting skills definitely got his attention, but it was the motorcycle ride they took the next day that really lit the spark.
At the time, Jocelyn was living in Paris with another guy, but Alec wasn’t about to back down. He went all out, sending her enough white orchids to fill an entire room—a bold move that paid off. Their whirlwind romance led to a quick Vegas wedding in 1978. After that, they moved to Manhattan, where they lived a pretty low-key but super glamorous life among New York City’s elite. The couple had two kids, Diane and Alec Jr., and for a while, everything seemed picture-perfect.
The cracks in their marriage started showing in the mid-90s. Jocelyn later said some of their problems came from the Wildenstein family’s tight grip on money, especially Alec Wildenstein’s father, Daniel, who had a lot of influence. Alec’s behavior also became more unpredictable—he even told Jocelyn he wanted to see other women, which only made things worse.
Around this time, Jocelyn’s love for cosmetic surgery became a major issue. Known for her dramatic transformations that earned her the nickname “Catwoman,” her surgeries were both a public spectacle and a private headache. In a 1998 Vanity Fair interview, Alec Wildenstein slammed her surgeries, stating, trying to “fix her face like a piece of furniture” was pointless. Jocelyn, on the other hand, responded that Alec’s dislike of aging played a role, claiming he didn’t want to be around “old people.”
Their marriage hit a crazy turning point in September 1997. Jocelyn supposedly came home to their Manhattan apartment and found Alec waving a gun around while wearing nothing but a towel. Meanwhile, a completely naked blonde woman—neither his wife nor his rumored Russian mistress—bolted down the hallway. Things spiraled from there, leading to a messy legal showdown.
Alec Wildenstein skipped town and stayed on the run for two years before finally coming back, pleading guilty, and agreeing to a restraining order that kept him away from Jocelyn for a year. By the time their divorce was finalized in 1999, it was one of the nastiest and priciest splits ever. Jocelyn walked away with a jaw-dropping $2.5 billion settlement, making headlines and solidifying her place in both the tabloids and the social elite.
Following the divorce, Alec Wildenstein’s life got quieter, but it didn’t get any less complicated. He passed away in Paris on February 18, 2008, at 67, after battling a long illness, later revealed to be prostate cancer. He was survived by his second wife, a Russian-born model Liouba Stoupakova, who he married in 2000.
Alec’s death closed a chapter for the Wildenstein family, but people’s fascination with his life—and his infamous marriage to Jocelyn—didn’t fade. His legacy, like his family’s art collection, is a mix of beauty and mystery, shaped by the ups and downs of his personal relationships.
2004 Prix de Cadran Winning Owner Mr Alec Wildenstein #westerner pic.twitter.com/SaNNlzOC7H
— History of Horse Racing (@horsevault) September 24, 2022
Jocelyn, meanwhile, went on to have a long-term relationship with fashion designer Lloyd Klein, whom she met at New York Fashion Week in 2003. Despite their 30-year age difference, the couple remained together for over two decades, enduring their share of public disputes and financial struggles. Jocelyn, despite receiving a fortune in her divorce settlement, declared bankruptcy in 2018, citing debts exceeding $6 million. Her financial woes, combined with her penchant for cosmetic enhancements, continued to dominate headlines.
Jocelyn passed away on December 31, 2024, at 84 years old. Her death came as a shock—her partner, Lloyd Klein, shared that he found her unresponsive after they took a nap to rest up for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The cause of death was phlebitis, a condition involving vein inflammation and blood clots. Klein noted her passing was peaceful and reflected on the happy, lively times they had just shared in Paris a few days earlier. While Jocelyn’s public image was often controversial, her later years were filled with love and personal happiness.
