Peter M. Brant (born 1947) is an American industrialist, businessman and entrepreneur, worth an estimated $2.4 billion[1]. He is also a major art collector,[2] movie producer, and avid horseman. Brant is married to supermodel Stephanie Seymour.
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Brant's fortune came from the paper business he inherited and expanded, though he has made a name for himself as an art collector and benefactor and as a highly regarded polo player. The company was later renamed White Birch Paper Company. Brant owns White Birch Paper Company and Brant Publications, Inc. In February 2010, White Birch Paper restructured under Chapter 11 proceedings due to declining demand for newsprint. The company has since emerged and currently operates pulp and paper mills, three located in Quebec, Canada and three in the United States.[3]
White Birch Paper Company is the largest newsprint manufacturer in North America next to AbitibiBowater Inc.[4].
Brant is the owner and chairman of Brant Publications, Inc., located in New York, New York, founded in 1984. BPI publishes four magazines:
Brant bought his first pieces of art after turning an $8,000 investment into several hundred thousand dollars as a young man. His first purchases according to The New York Times, included “a couple of Warhols and, later, a major Franz Kline.”[7] In 1976, Brant commissioned Andy Warhol to paint his cocker spaniel, Ginger. Warhol made two paintings of Ginger, as well as drawings. Now he has a collection of over 2,000 works, including what is considered one of the largest collections of Warhol's work in the world. On May 9, 2009, The Brant Foundation Art Study Center opened in Greenwich, CT. On the site of a converted stone barn, architect Richard Gluckman [8] redesigned the 9,800-square-foot (910 m2) space as a gallery and learning center, which will showcase long-term exhibitions and promote the appreciation of contemporary art and design. The non-profit center is open to the public by appointment.The Brant Foundation Art Study Center featured an exhibition by artist Urs Fischer in 2010 and painter Josh Smith in 2011.[9]
Brant is a member of the Advisory Council of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles named Brant to its Board of Trustees in December, 2009.[10]
Brant was an executive producer of the award-winning films Basquiat (1996) and Pollock (2000). Brant was also co-producer of the Peabody- and Emmy-award winning PBS documentary, Andy Warhol: A Documentary (2006).[11][12]
Brant was the breeder of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch. Thunder Gulch is the son of Gulch from the mare Line of Thunder, who were both owned and bred by Brant.[13] In addition, Brant is an accomplished polo player and at one time, was the highest-rated amateur player in the U.S. Brant is the co-founder of the Greenwich Polo Club, the Saratoga Polo Association,[14] and the Bridgehampton Polo Club.[15]
Brant has five children from his first marriage to Sandra Brant. In 1995, Brant married the supermodel Stephanie Seymour and they have three children together. In 2010, the couple filed for divorce but subsequently reconciled. He has one step-son from Seymour's first marriage and six grandchildren.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/business/media/24brant.html?pagewanted=all
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