Met Removes Vilar’s Name From Building

The Metropolitan Opera has taken down patron Alberto Vilar’s name from the opera house after Vilar failed to make good on a number of promised donations. “The Vilar name had been affixed to the Grand Tier since 1998, when Mr. Vilar pledged $20 million over five years toward a $400 million endowment goal, as well as $5 million to match grants by others. The opera did not say how much he was in arrears or in what form, cash or stocks, but the statement suggested that the amount was substantial. The un-naming at the Met — a stinging rebuke in the genteel world of big-time philanthropy — was the latest sign that arts groups were losing patience with Mr. Vilar’s missed commitments and were willing to speak out, even at the risk of losing any future largesse.”