10 Insanely Expensive Objects Ruined by Morons

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most shocking times a person’s thoughtless, moronic, or reckless actions caused the destruction of incredibly pricey items.

The “Zootopia” Lego Statue

In 2016, an artist named Mr. Zhao[a] spent three days building a Lego statue of the foxy Nick Wilde from “Zootopia.” Formed with around 10,000 bricks, it cost over $15,000 to put together. He did this for an exhibition at a shopping center in Ningbo, China. However, only an hour after the show opened, a young child got a little too excited about Nick. The ropes around the artwork and the “No Touching” sign couldn’t deter him. The kid pushed the sculpture over and caused it to smash into pieces. Yikes. The kid’s embarrassed father reportedly apologized to Zhao. Amazingly, the artist refused compensation, stating that the youngster didn’t do it on purpose.

Crushing a Fortune

Have you ever thrown away a container and then realized later there was something inside it you shouldn’t have gotten rid of? No, because you checked inside beforehand? Well, apparently, it can happen. In 2000, a couple of workers at the famous auction house Sotheby’s in London, England, saw a box amongst a collection of used packaging. So, they took it to the trash compactor. However, inside the crate was an untitled painting of plants by iconic British artist Lucian Freud[b]. As you can imagine, with the box being crushed into bits, so was the artwork. The painting was valued by Sotheby’s at £100,000, or around $156,800. Impressively, the two porters weren’t immediately fired.

Bored Guard

In 2021, security guard Aleksandr Vasiliev[c] was working his first shift at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Instead of admiring the artwork, Vasiliev got bored and decided to make his own. Spotting Anna Leporskaya’s painting “Three Figures,” the guard drew eyes on two of the faceless characters with a ballpoint pen. The artwork, which was insured for $1.2 million, needed restoration costing around $3,400. Vasiliev attempted to get the criminal charges dropped due to stress from being a war veteran and the recent deaths of both his wife and son. However, it didn’t work. In 2022, Vasiliev was sentenced to 180 hours of compulsory labor and ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Château Catastrophe[d]

Depending on who you ask, this instance was either a screwup of comedic proportions or a sneaky way to help the owner build what he actually wanted. Château de Bellevue was a stunning property in the Bordeaux region of France which had stood since the 18th century. However, when its Russian millionaire owner, Dmitry Stroskin, returned to his building after a trip, he found that workers had demolished it. Reportedly, the builders were meant to knock over a small building on the estate, not the main château. Stroskin soon announced he would rebuild the landmark as it was. However, irregularities with the permits before the renovation led to speculation the businessman did it on purpose, then lied when the outrage and investigations began.

Feyenoord[e] Football Fountain Fury

Sports fans can get rowdy. But not many of them damage a local historic landmark. In 2015, Dutch team Feyenoord played Roma in the Europa League in the Italian capital. After the 1-all draw, the Netherlands fans, while intoxicated, went on a rampage. During the incident, some fans severely damaged the Fontana della Barcaccia, a fountain that has stood since 1629. A Dutch restoration company sheepishly offered to fix the broken fountain. That damage was estimated to cost €5.2[f] million, nearly $6.4 million. In 2021, six Feyenoord fans were found guilty for the damage they caused, earning them jail sentences between three and four years.

World Record Cognac Destruction

In July 2012, beverage-maker extraordinaire Salvatore Calabrese[g] planned to set a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s most expensive cocktail at London’s famous Playboy Club. However, one guest was intrigued by Calabrese’s 1788 Clos du Griffier Vieux cognac bottle and asked to hold it. Yep, you can probably see where this is going. The clumsy enthusiast dropped the bottle, which was worth over $77,000. This was before Calabrese could finish making the cocktail, ruining the record attempt. Because the bottle had already been opened, it wasn’t insured. In October 2012, Calabrese attempted the feat again. This time, there was no calamity as he made a drink worth around $8,820.

The Pretentious Vandal

In 2007, American artist Cy Twombly[h] had his work exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Avignon, France. However, one art lover was far too enthusiastic about an all-white panel in the artist’s triptych named “Phaedrus,” worth an estimated $2.8 million. Rindy Sam kissed it, leaving behind a lipstick smudge. Restorers quickly got to work but struggled to remove Sam’s mark. During the trial, she stated she thought Twombly would understand her “loving gesture” and that “it was an artistic act provoked by the power of art.” Sam was ordered to pay fines to the painting's owner and the gallery, and a symbolic €1 to Twombly. In 2009, an appeals court ordered Sam to also pay the €18,840 restoration cost.

The Supercar Pileup

As a convoy of luxury sports cars was on its way to an event in Hiroshima in 2012, several of the drivers were more interested in showboating than getting there safely. Reportedly, some of the car owners were either speeding or not looking at the road as they showed off their prized possessions. This caused the leading driver to lose control, resulting in a crash involving ten supercars and at least three other vehicles. Some of the automobiles that were crumpled beyond recognition included eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, and at least one Mercedes. Altogether, the damage was estimated to be a whopping $4 million. In 2013, the police announced their intention to charge ten drivers for the catastrophe.

The Elbow of Doom

In 2001, Steve Wynn bought Pablo Picasso’s “Le Rêve” for an estimated $60 million. Fast forward to 2006: The casino magnate was hanging out with famous friends when he announced he’d agreed to sell “Le Rêve” to New York Mets owner Steve Cohen for a record-breaking $139 million. However, Wynn is one of those people who talks with his hands, and while gesturing, he accidentally elbowed the artwork, creating a six-inch tear. It took around $90,000 to repair the damage, giving the painting a new valuation of $85 million. In 2013, Cohen finally bought “Le Rêve” for a record $155 million.

The Multi-Million-Dollar Punch

The painting “Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat” by legendary French artist Claude Monet has been on display at Dublin’s National Gallery of Ireland since 1924. It’s valued at €[i]10 million, nearly $12.6 million. However, on one particular day in 2012, disaster struck when Andrew Shannon visited. While looking at the painting, he lurched forward and punched a hole through it. Shannon claimed he fainted from a heart condition. However, he had an extensive criminal history and just happened to be carrying a can of paint stripper, which pointed toward the vandalism being deliberate. It took restorers 18 months to repair the damage, and 7% of the artwork was still lost. Shannon was sentenced to five years in jail for his senseless attack.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve accidentally damaged? Let us know below!

[a]chow / ciao https://forvo.com/search/%E8%B5%B5/zh/

ning-boh https://forvo.com/search/%E5%AE%81%E6%B3%A2/
[b]LOOSE-yin froyd https://youtu.be/6LaQ9d0iFuU?si=VG_dOBqujvi4gH5I&t=9
£ = pounds
[c]vaw-SILL-yiv https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ru&tl=en&text=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%20%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2&op=translate
YEKATTERIN-bourg https://forvo.com/search/%D0%95%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3/
awnna lay-PORE-SKY-YUH https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ru&tl=en&text=%D0%90%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BE%CC%81%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F&op=translate
[d]english
https://forvo.com/search/ch%C3%A2teau%20de%20Bellevue/
STROH-skin https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ru&tl=en&text=Stroskin&op=translate
[e]FAY-norddd https://forvo.com/search/Feyenoord/
[f]€ = euros
[g]salva-TORE-uh cala-BRAY-zeh https://youtu.be/fwfucwkco6Y?si=IBlO98jPlWallPB-&t=8
cloh du greef-yay vieux https://youtu.be/HxE14d_HQ8U?si=0RYgsGu0Wt7H_xhb&t=19
[h]TWAWM-blee https://youtu.be/xAgsduEAGj0?si=WV6mkdvs_xpLL42m&t=50
FEE-driss https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Phaedrus
https://youtu.be/iOq29LiZZC0?si=0fnMjz9bSoMo-sRo&t=165
€ = euros
[i]arr-zshawn-TEUIL https://www.dictionary.com/browse/argenteuil
€ = euros