The 'Billion-Level Mystery' Behind Jay Chou and GD's Toast—Suspected to Own More Than One Picasso Masterpiece

Is it really poverty that limits imagination? Singer Jay Chou recently posted a photo of himself toasting with Korean pop king G-DRAGON (GD, Kwon Ji-yong), suspected to be taken at his home in Taipei’s Heping Dayuan. Netizens, in addition to heatedly discussing the fact that the two most sought-after concert ticket stars from Taiwan and Korea are in the same frame, noticed with sharp eyes that behind Jay Chou and GD is a Picasso painting of extraordinary value. From auction records, it can be seen that the painting, Musketeer with Sword, had a hammer price exceeding one hundred million New Taiwan Dollars (about ten million Ringgit). If Jay Chou truly owns the genuine work, then while taking the photo with GD, Jay also subtly showcased his art collection fortune.

From Jay Chou’s IG, it can be seen that Jay seems especially fond of Picasso’s Musketeer series. In 2021, when he served as curator for “CONTEMPORARY CURATED: ASIA” auction, he had a secret photo with another work, Bust of a Man, and Musketeer with Yellow Hat. According to the Sotheby’s website, the estimated value was between HKD 93 million and HKD 143 million (about RM 50.37 million to RM 77.46 million).

And last year (2024), Jay Chou again posted Picasso’s The Painter on IG. Since the timing coincided with Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction where the work sold for TWD 333 million (about RM 47.78 million), it led netizens to speculate: Did Jay make another art acquisition at this time?

Jay Chou’s love for art comes from his mother, Ye Huimei. Childhood memories of playing piano while his mother painted beside him seem to be among his happiest. Because his mother often talked about art history, Jay Chou was immersed in art appreciation from a young age.

Source: Apple News