Sure, there are other billionaires who might spend bigger, flashier amounts, but Don and Mera Rubell, who continue to add works to one of the world’s largest private contemporary art collections, serve as a model for any self-respecting collector who wants a public profile.
Their private museum in Miami (to which city they were instrumental in bringing Art Basel, back in 2001) serves up a decent programme: current darling Oscar Murillo got an early outing towards the end of 2012. Daughter Jennifer, a food writer turned artist, has had a few shows of her own, including a solo booth for Stephen Friedman Gallery at this year’s Frieze London, and her brother, Jason, worked with Sotheby’s on a curated auction in September.