- Wyatt Koch is suing Ivie Gabrielle Slocumb, his former fiancée, to retrieve a $250,000 engagement ring, The Daily Mail reported.
- Koch is the son of the billionaire William Koch.
- He runs a fashion brand in Palm Beach.
A broken engagement is almost always a source of pain, disappointment, and turmoil for those involved.
But for one formerly betrothed couple in Florida, there’s also a huge rock worth thousands of dollars on the line.
Wyatt Koch has filed suit against Ivie Gabrielle Slocumb, his ex-fiancée, saying she failed to return her $250,000 engagement ring once their relationship ended, The Daily Mail reported Wednesday.
According to the Palm Beach Daily News, Koch bought the ring for $180,000 at Manufacturing Jewelers on New York’s Madison Avenue in March.
Koch is the 31-year-old son of the billionaire William Koch, who broke away from his brothers in the 1990s and hosted fundraisers for Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, according to Fortune.
Wyatt Koch lives in Florida, where he runs a fashion line, Wyatt Ingraham.
Here's a look at the life and career of Wyatt Koch.
Koch's parents, William Koch and Joan Granlund, divorced when he was young, and he was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York. He told Palm Beach Illustrated that he had fond memories of spending time at Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard too.
Source: Palm Beach Illustrated, Tampa Bay Times, Washington Post, Wyatt Ingraham, Palm Beach Daily News
Koch's love of fashion began early, from when he first donned a "Yves Saint Laurent black with white pinstripes ensemble" at the age of 15. He told the Palm Beach Record that he was voted "most fashionable" in high school.
Source: The Palm Beacher, Palm Beach Record
In 2006, he moved to Palm Beach, where both of his parents live. Koch also owns a 450-acre ranch called Wonderland in Okeechobee, Florida.
Source: The Palm Beacher, Variety, Palm Beach Daily News
A post on the public-relations firm Altima Palm Beach's website says Koch enjoys spending time "playing tennis at Trump's Mar-a-Lago."
Source: Altima Palm Beach, The Palm Beacher
Koch's other preferred activities include shopping at Neiman Marcus, hitting up Palm Beach restaurants, skeet shooting, racing dune buggies, and playing paintball on his farm.
Source: Altima Palm Beach, The Palm Beacher
He has become a staple of Palm Beach society and made the rounds at fancy charity events, galas, and dinner dances.
Source: Altima Palm Beach (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), The Palm Beacher
His bold fashion choices have attracted attention at parties. Koch told The New York Times about one outfit for a 2014 soiree that the publication said gave him somewhat of a "radioactive glow." "It's Tom Ford, not Pucci," he said. "Best I can do."
Source: New York Times
He has been crowned "king of the wild pants" for two years running at the Arc of Palm Beach County's fundraiser.
Source: Gossip Extra
Koch has said his inspiration boils down to an enthusiasm for bright colors, styles from the 1960s and '70s, and pop art.
Source: Palm Beach Record, The Palm Beacher
"Mostly people love my style and flair, and compliment me," he told the Palm Beach Record in 2016. "Others are taken aback by it and don't know what to make of it, but at least I get them looking and thinking."
Source: The Palm Beach Record
His father's advice affected him growing up. "My father said to me, 'Wyatt, you can do whatever you want to in life but just make sure you do it well and you do it with passion,'" he said in an ad for Wyatt Ingraham.
Source: Palm Beach Illustrated, Tampa Bay Times, Washington Post, Wyatt Ingraham, Palm Beach Daily News
Koch decided to pursue fashion full time and established Wyatt Ingraham in 2015. His brand's website describes Koch as a "young man with a taste for bold, authentic new looks" who wanted to "challenge consumers to step out of their comfort zone and dress outside the box."
Source: Wyatt Ingraham, Florida Department of State, The Palm Beacher
He works with a team of designers and described his company's culture to The Palm Beacher as "productive, pleasant and very creative." Koch says he one day hopes to expand his line to include women's clothing.
Source: Quest, New York Social Diary, The Palm Beacher
The Palm Beach Daily News reported that Koch's company's shirts are made in the US and that 10% of the brand's profit goes to charity. Koch supports numerous charities, including the American Red Cross, the Boys and Girls Club, Place of Hope, and the Leukemia Society. He also won a "most valuable model" prize at a 2014 charitable fashion show for the Arc Foundation of Palm Beach County.
Source: Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach Record
He has also donated money to the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney, as well as the Republican National Committee.
Source: Federal Election Commission
When he's not thinking up new designs, Koch likes watching "Veep," singing Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" during karaoke outings, eating Godiva milk chocolate and caramels, and surprising people with his basketball skills.
Source: Palm Beach Illustrated
Ivie Gabrielle Slocumb, Koch's ex-fiancée, is the daughter of Charles Slocumb Sr., who owned and operated a used-car dealership in Tallahassee, Florida. Koch and Slocumb were spotted early this year attending charity events at Mar-a-Lago and Club Collette, and she called the engagement off in May, the Daily Mail reported.
Source: Legacy.com, Daily Mail