Celebrity Estates: The Estate Lessons Behind Jean-Michel Basquiat with Doug Woodham

Stories about legacy often reveal more than the moments that made someone known. 

In this episode of Celebrity Estates, author and advisor Doug Woodham joins the show to explore how Jean-Michel Basquiat’s unexpected passing set off a chain of estate challenges tied to illiquid assets, sudden value changes and family decisions.

Doug explains how the absence of a will, a large collection of artwork and a fast-rising market created valuation hurdles, tax pressure and liquidity strain. He also shares how disputes, incomplete records and shifting asset values shaped the long-term direction of the estate.

Join Senior Editor David Lenok and Doug Woodham, managing partner at Art Fiduciary Advisors, as they break down the estate lessons behind one of the most unusual art legacies in recent history.

Key takeaways include:

• Illiquid assets, volatile markets and rapid posthumous value growth
• Blockage discounts and how large holdings of one artist complicate valuations
• Family dynamics, estranged parents and unexpected inheritance patterns
• IRS disputes, liquidity strain and complex tax negotiations
• How Basquiat’s sisters eventually managed a growing licensing business

Resources:

• Listen to Celebrity Estates on WealthManagement.com
• Subscribe and listen to Celebrity Estates on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe and listen to Celebrity Estates on Spotify
• Trust and Estates Magazine
• Book: Jean-­Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon by Doug Woodham
• Book: Art Collecting Today: Market Insights for Everyone Passionate about Art by Doug Woodham

Connect With David Lenok:

• david.lenok@informa.com 
• WealthManagement.com
• LinkedIn: David Lenok
• LinkedIn: Informa
• LinkedIn: WealthManagement

Connect With Doug Woodham:

• Website: Doug Woodham
• LinkedIn: Art Fiduciary Advisors
• LinkedIn: Doug Woodham

About Our Guest:

Doug Woodham is Managing Partner of Art Fiduciary Advisors and the former President of the Americas for Christie’s, the international auction house. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company, advising asset management and wealth management firms across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan and is the author of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon (Thames & Hudson; 2025) and Art Collecting Today: Market Insights for Everyone Passionate About Art (Allworth Press, 2017).