Jerry Perenchio: ‘Perhaps the most philanthropic person I’ve ever worked with,’ LACMA chief says

Media mogul and philanthropist Jerry Perenchio, one of the richest men in Los Angeles, lived in a Bel Air mansion filled with art — paintings by Claude Monet, Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso.

And among those who reacted to news Wednesday that Perenchio had died at 86 was the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Throughout his life, Perenchio was a generous donor to charities, foundations and building projects, and he had a particularly close relationship with LACMA, which stands to benefit greatly from that generosity.

“Jerry Perenchio, he was very influential in the philanthropic world, as people know, but most of his philanthropy was anonymous. I don’t know we’ll ever know the extent of it,” LACMA Director Michael Govan said. “But I can say in my own experience, he was perhaps the most philanthropic person I’ve ever worked with in the sense that he did it all with support for the institution and with this encouragement. He combined this hard-driving success and goal orientation in philanthropy with this extreme generosity and encouragement. And that was an amazing and rare combination. I felt it all the time.”

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In late 2014, Perenchio announced a future gift to LACMA, its largest ever: He promised at least 47 works from his personal collection, valued at more than $500 million, to the museum upon his death. The gift was on the condition that LACMA erect a new building, which in 2016 he pledged $25 million toward.

“I asked him if he’d be willing to be public in his gift because Los Angeles needed some role models,” Govan said. “It was the largest gift to the institution ever — a huge singular statement — and he did, he allowed us to use his name. He hoped it would encourage others.”

The museum is still fundraising toward a $650-million goal for a new Peter Zumthor-designed building. Groundbreaking for the project is planned for next year. And Perenchio’s words continue to inspire Govan’s efforts, he says.

“Jerry was the one who made me change my language in terms of the building project: ‘Never say “if,” always say “when.” Failure is not an option,’” Govan said. “I was super lucky to spend time with him and feel his generosity so closely.”

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