Rumor Has It / Scene

Palm Beachers associate the name Blaquier with polo -as in Nacho Figuera’s Argentinian wife Delfina-but the family is now making waves in the art world, too. The collection of the late Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and Carlos Pedro Blaquier will come to auction at Sotheby’s later this season. Described as”Argentina’s largest private art collection,” the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces are anticipated to bring more than $450 million.

Real estate spies report that reps for private member clubs including San Vicente Bungalows, Maxime’s and Casa Tua have been circling Palm Beach all summer for potential sites, and expanding their searches to include West Palm as well. Several have been caught vying for the same prime locations. What have you heard?

For the first time, Palm Beach has recently seen more home buyers from California entering the market than from New York, according to a survey of local real estate brokers. Residential sales in the last quarter topped $1.1B, up 64% from the same period a year prior, according to a recent report released by the Frisbie Group.

Palm Beach’s philanthropic streak continues. Dr. Herbie Wertheim–aka the man in the red hat–has pledged $100M to Baptist Health South Florida, a gift that will help to accelerate cancer research and attract leading physicians. It follows his two other recent landmark donations: $100M to the University of Florida and $65M to Florida State University.

Landmaxxing: a new term describing the purchase of multiple adjacent properties to create private residential compounds that has its roots in Palm Beach, where billionaire residents like Ken Griffin, Larry Ellison, William Lauder and David MacNeil have assembled personal estates collectively valued at well over $2B.

Palm Beacher Rod Stewart paid homage to Bonnie Tyler hours after her death was announced with an emotional rendition of “It’s a Heartache” at a fundraiser for The King’s Trust at Scotland’s Gleneagles.

Palm Beacher Rod Stewart paid homage to Bonnie Tyler hours after her death was announced with an emotional rendition of “It’s a Heartache” at a fundraiser for The King’s Trust at Scotland’s Gleneagles.

A proposal to bring a futuristic fleet of self-driving cars to West Palm Beach will be presented to county commissioners today. Glydways hopes to build an elevated “airport connector” linking downtown to the airport, reducing traffic within the next five years. Riders would also be able to summon a private autonomous vehicle to take them between the Convention Center, CityPlace, the Brightline, NORA and other high-traffic spots.

Leading up to The Championships, which begin next week in London, Wimbledon is bringing grass court tennis to Central Park. From June 26–29, tennis fans will be treated to an exhibition match played by Andre Agassi, Caroline Wozniacki, James Blake and Genie Bouchard on a Wimbledon-certified grass court, while enjoying strawberries & cream, Pimm’s Cups, and live Wimbledon coverage on giant screens.

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo spotted at the Four Seasons Palm Beach while his team begins preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team is training in Palm Beach Gardens before facing off in Houston next week.

Southampton Arts Center has received a $3.4 million gift from Palm Beach’s John Paulson to transform the historic property’s grounds, gardens and arboretum. Dedicated as The Paulson Family Gardens–a welcoming public space for reflection, inspiration and shared experience–it is now open to the public.

It’s a big month for perennial Palm Beach power couple, Susan and James Patterson. Their new book, “The Mother-Daughter Book Club,” just made the New York Times bestseller list with proceeds benefiting independent booksellers nationwide. In addition, each is speaking at the graduation ceremony of the other’s alma mater, with James at University of Wisconsin and Susan at Manhattan University.

“My mother was not strict, but she was a big person for discipline, so I was up at 5:30am taking care of my dogs, taking care of my horses, mucking out stalls…”

— Cornelia Guest

RSVP at your own peril! In a scam that feels tailor-made for Palm Beach, The New York Times reports that bad actors are employing fake party invitations, often appearing to come from people you know, to steal passwords and access personal data.

A dynamic group of female tastemakers gathered at Tutto Mare to toast FoundRae Founder and noted jewelry designer Beth Hutchens on the runaway success of her Palm Beach boutique including: Kelly Klein, Merrie Kramer, Kara Ross, Anna Flores Piran, Victoria Hagan, Carolyn Pressly Ryan, Ellen Niven, Carolina Sarria and FoundRae CEO Ruth Sommers.

With all the buzz about TNT (Taylor and Travis) tying the knot this summer, word is they are not only “Enchanted” with each other, but with Palm Beach as well, and have plans to build on a major lot they have apparently purchased on the north end of the island…

Are Palm Beachers “Ready for it”?!

In Palm Beach, “March madness” always seems to center on restaurant news: the hotly anticipated Coco’s opens at the new Vineta Hotel; Le Bilboquet continues its incredible five-year streak as one of the most coveted reservations on earth; Nacho Figueras and Steve Hanson welcome throngs of equestrian-loving guests to their Polo Room restaurant; Gianpaolo and Gabby De Felice’s Tutto Mare is buzzing with sold-out crowds indoors and out and arguably the most magical view in town; following its notable success in New York and other markets, Estiatorio Milos shines as a glittering gold standard among hot spots; Malka’s chef Eyal Shani opens a new outpost called Bella in Miami; as always, La Goulue brings out the Francophile in everyone; Lamarina is a haven for yacht lovers everywhere; and daily rumors persist about celebrated new openings all over town.

Real estate roulette continues on the ocean block of Worth Avenue as O’Connor Group has sold their holdings on the south side of the street to a partnership led by England’s prolific Reuben brothers. Meanwhile, across the famed avenue, TZ Capital continues to develop the former Neiman Marcus space as a hotly anticipated luxury brand destination.

Aspen and Palm Beach have long been considered sister cities, and now the Wall Street Journal is among the outlets reporting on which takes the prize for most expensive real estate.Not surprisingly, many owners of the most coveted Aspen properties are Palm Beachers, and the same is true in reverse.