Lyor Cohen and Xin Li at the Lincoln Center in April.
Photo: Courtesy of Patrick McMullan.
Christie’s model-turned contemporary art specialist Xin Li is engaged to music mogul Lyor Cohen, the New York Post reports.
Xin, who has been referred to as Christie’s “secret weapon” in helping racking up hundreds of millions from wealthy Asian clients at its contemporary sales, is often seen juggling more than one telephone as she bids at major evening sales (see Meet Xin Li, Christie’s Secret Weapon for China Sales and Chinese Restaurant Mogul Zhang Lan Spent Millions at Christie’s).
Cohen is the CEO of 300 Entertainment. In a Reddit AMA earlier this year, Cohen described himself as “a creative business music executive” who counts Kanye West as a “very very close friend.”
He reportedly proposed to Li—who he met over the holidays on St. Barth’s—last week. The Post first reported that they were a couple this past January, quoting a source who said they’ve been “inseparable” since they met. Cohen “proposed while the couple were in Florence for a friend’s wedding and presented Li with a ring designed by British jeweler Glenn Spiro,” according to the article. Cohen formerly dated designer Tory Burch for five years; the couple split up in 2013.
Xin was on the phone with Chinese restauranteur Zhang Lan last May at the specially curated sale titled “If I Live, I’ll See You Tuesday.” The collector spent nearly $30 million in a single evening, on a Martin Kippenberger Self Portrait (1988) and an Andy Warhol Little Electric Chair (1965). According to a lengthy profile in the Wall Street Journal last year, Xin focuses most of her energy on five major Asian collectors who can each spend $100 million on art in a single season. Most of these clients are women are self made technology and banking billionaires, according to the Journal (see Christie’s New Contemporary Sale a Thumping $135 Million Success).
Martin Kippenberger. Self Portrait (1988)
Photo: Christies.com.