IM Pei net worth
What is IM Pei’s net worth?
IM Pei was a Chinese-American architect who passed away in 2019 with a net worth of $150 million. Considered one of the finest architects of the 20th century, he designed some of the world’s most famous buildings. I.M. Pei passed away on May 15, 2019 at the age of 102.
early life
He was born I.M. Pei on April 26, 1917 in Guangzhou, China, the son of one of China’s most important bankers. When he was a baby, the family moved to Hong Kong so that his father could take the top job at the Hong Kong branch of the Bank of China. The family moved to Shanghai when Pei was 9, when his father ran the largest branch of the Bank of China. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, followed by a master’s degree in architecture at Harvard in 1946.
Profession
IM Pei is best known for his work at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, the National Gallery East, Louvre The Pyramids in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. He is the principal of IM Pei Architects, IM Pei Architects, IM Pei Architects, and IM Pei Architects.
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One of his only “failures” was the John Hancock Building in Boston. When the building was nearing completion in 1973, glass panels suddenly began to emerge from the facade. The issue was ultimately determined to be the glass company’s fault, not Pei’s designs, but the controversy temporarily damaged his company’s reputation and finances. Years later, he admitted that his company nearly went bankrupt as a result of the lawsuit. The façade was fixed and the building eventually won many awards.
During his lifetime, IM Pei received the Royal Gold Medal, the AIA Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Pritzker Prize and the Order of the Empire. His family can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. Pei’s work is described as having a Cubist theme and is known for incorporating simple geometric patterns. He often questions the dichotomy of modern and postmodern art, arguing about how it affects communities and the lives around us.
art collection
An avid art collector throughout his life, IM Pei managed to collect works by Jean Dubuffet, Willem de Koonig, Barnett Newman Franz Klein and others. A year after his death, the entire collection was auctioned and sold for over $25 million. One Newman painting alone sold for $10.5 million.
personal real estate
In the 1970s, Pei and his wife, Eileen, bought a townhouse in New York City for $215,000. They embarked on extensive renovations. Eileen Pei passed away in 2014. A few months after IM’s death, the four-bedroom townhouse was listed for $8 million. In September 2021, the home sold for $8.6 million.
Below is a video tour of the property by the listing agent:
