Ronald Lauder donates Neue Galerie and $135m Klimt masterpiece to the Met in landmark gift

In 2013 Lauder’s brother Leonard, who died last year, donated a collection of 78 Cubist works to the Met by artists including Picasso, Braque, Gris and Léger.

The history of major gifts and legacies from wealthy collectors to museums and galleries includes Sir Hans Sloane’s collection, which became the basis of the British Museum. Last year, the National Gallery in London received two £150mn donations from venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman, and the Julia Rausing Trust.