Vivendi CEO Messier Sued Over Artwork Deal

Vivendi Universal Chief Executive Jean-Marie Messier was sued by a London art gallery that accused him of reneging on a commitment to buy a sculpture.

The suit, filed in New York by Waddington Galleries Ltd., says Messier agreed in January to buy a work by Welsh sculptor Barry Flanagan for $265,734 but backed out of the verbal agreement after learning that he could buy another cast of the sculpture from Sotheby’s Inc. for less.