Bloomberg Reporter Matthew Campbell on the Looter Who Fed the Met
Matthew Campbell's book, "The Man Who Stole the Gods," published in 2026 by Portfolio, explores the controversial legacy of Douglas Latchford, a key player in the trafficking of looted Khmer antiquities. Latchford, who relocated to Bangkok in the late 1950s, was indicted in 2019 on multiple charges, including wire fraud and smuggling, but passed away in 2020 before facing trial. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the leadership of Thomas Hoving and curator Martin Lerner in the 1970s, acquired numerous Khmer sculptures, many of which were taken from their original sites with devastating methods. Cambodia has since requested the return of 45 artworks from the Met, with 16 returned by 2023.
Key facts
- Matthew Campbell's book 'The Man Who Stole the Gods' was published in 2026 by Portfolio.
- Douglas Latchford moved to Bangkok in the late 1950s and became a major conduit for looted Khmer antiquities.
- Latchford was indicted in 2019 by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York on charges including wire fraud and smuggling.
- Latchford died in 2020 at age 88 before his trial could begin.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired many Khmer sculptures with illicit origins under director Thomas Hoving and curator Martin Lerner in the 1970s.
- Khmer sculptures were often removed from temples using jackhammers, construction equipment, and dynamite, causing significant damage.
- The US Air Force bombed Cambodia in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the US supported the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s.
- Cambodia demanded the return of 45 artworks from the Met in 2021; the Met has returned 16 as of 2023.
Entities
Artists
- Douglas Latchford
- Thomas Hoving
- Martin Lerner
- Brad Gordon
- Matthew Campbell
- Jim Thompson
- Emiline Smith
- Emma Bunker
- Bradley Gordon
Institutions
- Bloomberg Businessweek
- Hyperallergic
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
- Cambodian government
- Portfolio
- Government of Cambodia
Locations
- Bangkok
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- New York City
- United States
- Banteay Chhmar
- Phnom Penh
- Cambodia's National Museum
- Koh Ker
- Malaysia
- Laos
- Vietnam
- New York
- London