Art Dealer Robert Ellsworth Left Waitresses a Hefty Tip
- May 11, 2015 14:50
Renowned Asian art dealer and collector Robert "King of Ming" Ellsworth left two of his favorite waitresses massive tips in his will.
Ellsworth, who died at 85 last August after a fall, gave $50,000 each to Maureen Donohue-Peters, 53, and her niece Maureen Barrie, 28. The pair served Ellsworth for decades at Donohue’s Steak House on New York's Upper East Side. Ellsworth did not know the last names of the women, listing them in his will as “Maureen at Donohue’s” and “Maureen-at-Donohue’s Niece Maureen”.
Known as a specialist in Ming dynasty furniture, and for cultivating Asian art collections in America, Ellsworth left an estate worth about $200 million at his death. His collection has since been divvied up, with some pieces headed for institutions such as the Met and Harvard, and 1,400 works sold through Christie's for over $131 million in March.