Sir Leonard Blavatnik Praised for Supporting the Arts in the UK

The Times‘ chief culture writer, Richard Morrison, wrote a powerful piece in defense of big businesses supporting the arts. He cited Sir Leonard Blavatnik as a shining example, “First, Blavatnik gives many of his donations to British organisations. Second, he clearly has an interest in culture. And third, we really need him. The sad fact is that, compared with America, Britain has very few megarich individuals giving away any money at all.”

As the richest man in the UK, Sir Leonard has given to a number of British cultural organizations, most recently contributing £10 million to the National Portrait Gallery’s renovation. Prior to that, the Courtauld Gallery, the Tate Modern, the V&A museum, as well as the Imperial War Museum have also been recipients of Blavatnik’s generosity. With an interest in preserving British culture, a £7.7 million contribution saved the Honresfield Library of literary manuscripts from being sold abroad. Additionally, having bought London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018 ensured the historical theater lived on.

Read the full article We can only save the arts if we stop sneering at big business.