Heirs to the Bic Empire Say They’ve Been Robbed of a Renaissance Masterwork
1April 3, 2026
According to court papers filed last month, Gonzalve Bich, Charles Bich and Guillame Bich, the French heirs to themulti-billion dollarBic Pen fortune,are alleging that a 15th century Renaissance masterpiece originally purchased by their grandfather was stolen by their chauffeur and erroneously sold twenty years ago,Bloombergreports.
The painting in question isSaint Sixtus, ca. 1453–55 byFra Angelico, one of the most influential pioneers of the Florence Renaissance, and it depicts one of the world’s earliest popes. It was purchased from Sotheby’s in 1972 by Marcel Bich, the founder of the Bic Pen empire, the suit says.
According to the three grandsons of Bich, Roy Morrow—their father Bruno Bich’s chauffeur—stole the painting from their home in 2006 and turned it over to the art dealer Richard Feigen for $3 million. “Bruno did not know the Work had been stolen. He only knew that the Work had disappeared,” the suit reads. “For years, he repeatedly asked Veronique, his wife, where the Work had gone; each time, she evaded his questions or provided inconsistent explanations. Bruno never learned the details of Morrow’s theft before passing away.”
Feigen then subsequently sold the painting to Chilean businessman and art collector Alvaro Saieh, who picked it up in 2018 for $5.4 million, the suit alleges.
The brothers are suing Saieh in the hopes of reclaiming the painting (Morrow died in 2020). They also want Feigen to give back the millions he made in the proceeds from the sale. “We acquired the artwork from Christie’s in 2018, relying on the studies made by one of the world’s leading auction houses,” Andrés Winter Salgado, a representative for Saieh and his wife, said in a statement to Gothamist. “We will take all necessary steps to vigorously protect our rights and will respond through the appropriate legal channels.”
“Saieh possesses stolen artwork, and Feigen’s estate possesses funds Feigen wasn’t entitled to receive,” Luke Nikas, the Bich heirs’ lawyer, told Bloomberg. “They should do the right thing and turn over the painting and the funds to their rightful owners.”