Known as the It-girl of the art market, she found fame acquiring works costing millions for the super-rich.
Now, however, Beijing-born Olyvia Kwok is being sued for more than £100,000 by a wealthy stockbroker over a missing watch.
Mayfair-based fine art dealer Olyvia is facing legal action by a former friend worth tens of millions of pounds.
Patrick Coakley is alleged to have entered into an agreement to buy two luxury watches from her in 2023.
Ms Kwok, who has described herself as a ‘very aggressive seller’, has said she tends to work for those worth over $30 million (£22 million).
She denies the claim and says it is ‘without merit’.
The alleged watch deal was for $200,000 (£148,000), which Coakley says he paid in return for two watches, an Audemars Piguet valued at $35,000 (£26,000), and a Patek Philippe 5070P watch, valued at $165,000 (£122,000).
Legal papers say: ‘The claimant sent the defendant’s company Willscape Partners Ltd $200,000 in accordance with the agreement. It was agreed between the parties that the defendant would deliver the goods to the claimant.’
Beijing-born Olyvia Kwok, who found fame acquiring art works costing millions for the super-rich, is being sued for £100,000 by a wealthy stockbroker over a missing watch
Coakley, who runs the firm Duveen Capital, says only the Audemars Piguet watch was delivered by the agreed date.
Ms Kwok later paid him $50,000 followed by $10,000 the next month. But Coakley claims $105,000 is still missing.
This, with interest and exchange rates, brings his claim to £107,000.
Coakley says he regrets the deal. He said: ‘I fell out with her. She helped me out when I was going through my divorce and I wanted to help her.
‘What I thought would be a win-win situation by buying some assets from a friend – but at the same time, helping her went terribly wrong.’
Ms Kwok, left, says: ‘Patrick and I agreed on a watch transaction. When the market moved against him, he declined to proceed.
‘We then mutually agreed to substitute a painting for the watches, which have been ready for him to collect at all times.’
Getty’s wacky Met Gala outfit grabs attention
Sabine Getty didn’t need to wait for applause for her outfit at the Met Gala as she gave herself a big hand.
The Swiss-Lebanese jewellery designer, 41, who’s married to Joseph Getty, a scion of the billionaire US dynasty, wore a sheer Ashi Studio gown to the annual fundraiser in New York.
Sabine Getty wearing a work of art at the Met Gala in New York
It featured illustrated hands across her body, including one at her waist sporting an emerald ring. ‘Thank you to everyone who worked so hard for creating this moment,’ Sabine wrote online.
At least there were no accidents. At the Oscars ceremony earlier this year, her long silk ballgown became trapped in the escalator.
‘I expected hectic, but nowhere near escalator-near-death-dress-massacre hectic,’ she said at the time.
Often cast in ‘ice queen’ roles, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas can be rather frosty off screen as well.
‘The things I obviously do regret are [when it’s involved] other people and been worse for them than me – when I’ve bullied someone,’ the Slow Horses star admits.
‘I feel awful if I’ve been cross with someone and… if [I’ve] done things I feel a bit shifty about, those lurk for a very long time in my head.’
The actress, 65, adds: ‘I’m quite good at apologising, I like apologising. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing because then it’s even more about me.’
Dear Vlad… Tarrant ex’s soft spot for tyrant Putin
He’s a ruthless tyrant responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Ukraine, but Vladimir Putin retains his charms for Ingrid Tarrant, ex-wife of former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host Chris.
‘What I like about him is that he doesn’t waver,’ muses Ingrid, 71. ‘I like a strong man. You may not like his policies or anything like that, but I have such respect for a man that you can look to and he’s constant. He speaks from the heart for his country.
‘He’s like me in many ways: if I really believe in something, I will say it and take the consequences.’
The reality TV star adds: ‘I have actually penned a letter in my head. I’ve got as far as putting it on the computer. It starts off with, ‘We have so much in common…’ and yes, ‘Dear Vlad’.’
Someone send her to Moscow…
Dame Judi art up for grabs
A landscape painting of the Highland by Dame Judi Dench is to go under the hammer next week
One of the last paintings by Dame Judi Dench, completed before the Oscar-winner’s deteriorating eyesight put paid to her pastime, is to be auctioned next week.
The actress’s landscape of Highlands beauty spot Wester Ross will go under the hammer on May 13, in aid of the Supper With The Stars charity at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford. Online bidding for Judi’s final effort, finished last year, had reached £3,300 yesterday.
Reflecting on her eye condition, the actress, 91, has said stoically: ‘I can’t see on a film set any more… and I can’t see to read. But you just deal with it.’
The Duke of Gloucester, 81, quietly outperformed the heir to the throne in royal duties last year. And now the ever sprightly Prince Richard wants somebody to help him work out his roster of engagements. He’s advertising for a programme co-ordinator, with a salary of up to £32,000-a-year.
The duke carried out 212 official engagements throughout 2025, surpassing Prince William’s 202.
The duke conducted his duties without much public attention, steadily working through his schedule while the younger generation of royals attracted the spotlight.
Queen drummer Roger Taylor launched the group’s entry into the celebrity wine market, a Cotes de Provence Rosé with ‘rhapsody of wild strawberry’, at a private London tasting.
Is band-mate guitarist Sir Brian May, the animal-loving astronomer, on board? ‘I think he’s approving, he’s badgering the stars right now,’ Roger says.
May surely wished he was on board the recent Artemis II moon flyby? ‘He was saving the ant that week,’ the drummer suggests, as dry as his new rosé.
‘Battered’ Naga runs into trouble
Naga Munchetty is a little bruised and battered after falling over while out running
Naga Munchetty was not presenting BBC Breakfast yesterday, so viewers were spared a painful sight.
‘I fell over running,’ explains the 51-year-old, who lives in Hertfordshire. ‘It was bad, bad, bad – and very annoying. I’ll recover, but I’m bruised and battered with a little bit of blood here and there.
‘I was running on a very gravelly country lane and I automatically threw my arms out to cushion the full. I’m not sure if I have gravel embedded in the skin of my palm – it’s not massively deep but I don’t want to stick a pin in to try and dig it out.’
Naga, left, vowed she would never run the London Marathon again after injuring her leg on the course in 2013.
