New Director at The Louvre after Crown Jewels Heist
March 04, 26
(IDEX Online) - The Louvre Museum has a new director, who will be tasked with overhauling security following the $102m crown jewels raid last October.
Christophe Leribault, 62, an art historian specializing in 18th‑century art, replaces Laurence des Cars, 59, who resigned on 24 February amid mounting criticism.
The following day Leribault, former director of the Palace of Versailles, was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron.
Leribault will oversee the implementation of major security upgrade, priced at around $100m, that had already been designed at the time of the heist.
It shifts resources from new acquisitions for the museum toward CCTV coverage, anti‑intrusion systems, and infrastructure fixes long flagged by auditors.
Four thieves disguised as construction workers used a truck‑mounted lift to break a window into the Apollo Gallery, smashed two high‑security cases, grabbed eight crown‑jewel pieces within about four minutes, and escaped on motorbikes.
None of the eight items stolen - including the MarÃa‑Amelie/Hortense sapphire set, the Marie‑Louise emerald set, and Eugenie's tiara and bodice bow - have been recovered. It is widely feared they have been dismantled and sold.
Pic shows crime scene at The Louvre, Paris, last October.