Thomas Kinkade Owes Susan Orlean Money

Not so long ago, Kinkade’s widely accessible work was plastered on anything and everything, from prints to mousepads to housing developments, and financial success always followed. But today, now that Kinkade’s work has faded from popularity, he is virtually bankrupt. His paintings no longer sell. His franchised gallery owners turned on him with lawsuits. Those led to a $3 million payout he could not afford, which in turn caused one of his companies to seek bankruptcy protection last week. And, he was caught drunkenly urinating on a statue of Walt Disney. Plus, as Susan Orlean writes, he also owes her a million dollars. The pair made a tongue-in-cheek bet for $1 million in 2001 that Kinkade’s work would one day be shown in a major museum. Kinkade lost.