The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 1.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | 1.6% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 1.9% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 2.2% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 2.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 1.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 1.6% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 2.7% | 49 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 1.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 1.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 1.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | 1.6% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 1.5% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Hollein | Executive Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Lauren A Meserve | SVP & CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Kenly Voght | SENIOR INVESTMENT OFFICER | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Lawrence Choi | SENIOR INVESTMENT OFFICER | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jameson Kelleher | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Whitney Donhauser | DEP DIR & CHF ADVANCEMENT OFF | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharon H Cott | SVP,SECRTRY&GEN.CNSL To 4/1/25 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Daniel H Weiss | Executive Director | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth Weine | SVP & CHF COMM OFF TO 12/31/23 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Stephen Martin Mannello | Head Of Retail & Global Licens | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Quincy Houghton | DEP DIR FOR EXH & INT'L INITIA | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| David Breslin | Artistic Director | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Andrea Bayer | DEPUTY DIR, COLLECTIONS/ADMIN | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Inka Drogemuller | DEP DIR FOR AUDIENCE ENGAGEMEN | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kerry Mullins | CHIEF HR OFFICER | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Jhaelen Hernandez Eli | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Steven R Ryan | CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Rishi Agnani | Deputy Chief Human Resources | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| H Sujin Kim | DEP GEN CNSL & ASST SECRECTARY | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Candace K Beinecke | Board President | — | ||
| Hamilton E James | Board President | — | ||
| Richard L Chilton Jr | Board President | — | ||
| Debra Black | Board Member | — | ||
| Samantha Boardman | Board Member | — | ||
| James Breyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Daniel Brodsky From 7124 | Board Member | — | ||
| Ursula Burns | Board Member | — | ||
| Gerrard P Bushell | Board Member | — | ||
| Jordan Casteel | Board Member | — | ||
| Wellington Z Chen | Board Member | — | ||
| N Anthony Coles | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen M Cutler | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert Denning | Board Member | — | ||
| Blair Effron | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Fisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Marina Kellen French | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Griffin | Board Member | — | ||
| Kenneth Hao | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Yan Huo | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael ByungJu Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Julia Koch | Board Member | — | ||
| Sacha Lainovic | Board Member | — | ||
| Aerin Lauder | Board Member | — | ||
| Janice Y K Lee | Board Member | — | ||
| Pablo G Legorreta | Board Member | — | ||
| Wesley M LePatner | Board Member | — | ||
| Amanda Davis Lister | Board Member | — | ||
| Philip F Maritz | Board Member | — | ||
| Howard Marks | Board Member | — | ||
| Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani | Board Member | — | ||
| Dasha Niarchos | Board Member | — | ||
| Edward N Pick | Board Member | — | ||
| John Pritzker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sir Paul Ruddock | Board Member | — | ||
| Alejandro Santo Domingo | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew M Saul | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Patton Seymour | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew Solomon | Board Member | — | ||
| Jamie Singer Soros | Board Member | — | ||
| Beatrice Stern | Board Member | — | ||
| Steve Stoute | Board Member | — | ||
| Gaby Sulzberger | Board Member | — | ||
| Oscar L Tang | Board Member | — | ||
| Ann G Tenenbaum | Board Member | — | ||
| Merryl H Tisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Mathew M Wambua | Board Member | — | ||
| David S Winter | Board Member | — | ||
| Dame Anna Wintour | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Adrienne Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Brad Lander | Board Member | — | ||
| Susan Donoghue | Board Member | — | ||
| Iris Rodriguez-Rosa | Board Member | — | ||
| Laurie Cumbo | Board Member | — | ||
| Paul Pineau From 31025 | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel H Weiss | Executive Director | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| Max Hollein | Executive Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Lauren A Meserve | SVP & CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Lawrence Choi | Senior Investment Officer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jameson Kelleher | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Whitney Donhauser | Dep Dir & Chf Advancement Off | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharon H Cott | Secretary | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Stephen Martin Mannello | Head Of Retail & Global Licens | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Quincy Houghton | Dep Dir For Exh & Int'l Initia | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth Weine | SVP & CHIEF COMMS OFF TO 12/31 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| David Breslin | Artistic Director | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Andrea Bayer | Deputy Dir, COLLECTIONS/ADMIN | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Inka Drogemuller | Dep Dir For Audience Engagemen | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Jhaelen Hernandez Eli | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Steven R Ryan | Chief Technology Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Rishi Agnani | Interim CHRO To 9/4/23 | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| H Sujin Kim | Secretary | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Kerry Mullins | Chief HR Officer From 9/5/23 | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Richard L Chilton Jr | Board President | — | ||
| Debra Black | Board Member | — | ||
| Samantha Boardman | Board Member | — | ||
| James Breyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Ursula Burns | Board Member | — | ||
| Gerrard P Bushell | Board Member | — | ||
| Jordan Casteel | Board Member | — | ||
| Wellington Z Chen | Board Member | — | ||
| N Anthony Coles | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen M Cutler | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert Denning | Board Member | — | ||
| Blair Effron | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Fisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Colvin W Grannum | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey W Greenberg | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Griffin | Board Member | — | ||
| Caroline Diamond Harrison | Board Member | — | ||
| J Tomilson Hill | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Yan Huo | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael ByungJu Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Julia Koch | Board Member | — | ||
| Sacha Lainovic | Board Member | — | ||
| Aerin Lauder | Board Member | — | ||
| Janice YK Lee | Board Member | — | ||
| Pablo G Legorreta | Board Member | — | ||
| Amanda Davis Lister | Board Member | — | ||
| Philip F Maritz | Board Member | — | ||
| Catie Marron | Board Member | — | ||
| Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani | Board Member | — | ||
| Dasha Niarchos | Board Member | — | ||
| Gina Peterson | Board Member | — | ||
| Edward N Pick | Board Member | — | ||
| John Pritzker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sir Paul Ruddock | Board Member | — | ||
| Alejandro Santo Domingo | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Patton Seymour | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew Solomon | Board Member | — | ||
| Jamie Singer Soros | Board Member | — | ||
| Beatrice Stern | Board Member | — | ||
| Steve Stoute | Board Member | — | ||
| Gaby Sulzberger | Board Member | — | ||
| Ann G Tenenbaum | Board Member | — | ||
| Merryl H Tisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Mathew M Wambua | Board Member | — | ||
| David S Winter | Board Member | — | ||
| Dame Anna Wintour | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Adrienne Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Brad Lander | Board Member | — | ||
| Susan Donoghue | Board Member | — | ||
| Laurie Cumbo | Board Member | — | ||
| Candace K Beinecke | Board President | — | ||
| Hamilton E James | Board President | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren A Meserve | SVP & Chief Investment Officer | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Daniel H Weiss | Executive Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Max Hollein | Board Member | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Clyde B Jones III | SVP, Institutional Advancement | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Keith R Christiansen | Chairman,Euro Painting To 7/21 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jameson Kelleher | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharon H Cott | Secretary | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Quincy Houghton | Deputy Dir For Exhibitions | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth Weine | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Stephen Martin Mannello | GMM & Head Of Retail | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Jhaelen Hernandez Eli | Head Of Construction | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Andrea Bayer | Deputy Dir, Collections/Admin | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Inka Drogemuller | Dep Dir Digital/Edu/Pub/Lbrary | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Stephen A Manzi | Chief Dev Off, Indiv Giving | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Douglas C Hegley | Chief Digital Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Steven R Ryan | Chief Technology Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Allison Rutledge-Parisi | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Jeanette Brizel | Chief HR Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Laurel Britton | SVP, Revenue & Ops. To 2/21 | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Candace K Beinecke | Board President | — | ||
| Hamilton E James | Board President | — | ||
| Richard L Chilton Jr | Board President | — | ||
| Charles N Atkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Debra Black | Board Member | — | ||
| Samantha Boardman | Board Member | — | ||
| James Breyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Daniel Brodsky | Board Member | — | ||
| Ursula Burns | Board Member | — | ||
| Wellington Z Chen | Board Member | — | ||
| N Anthony Coles | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen M Cutler | Board Member | — | ||
| Blair Effron | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Fisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Colvin W Grannum | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey W Greenberg | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Griffin | Board Member | — | ||
| Caroline Diamond Harrison | Board Member | — | ||
| J Tomilson Hill | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Ming Chu Hsu | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael ByungJu Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Sacha Lainovic | Board Member | — | ||
| Philip F Maritz | Board Member | — | ||
| Howard Marks | Board Member | — | ||
| Catie Marron | Board Member | — | ||
| Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani | Board Member | — | ||
| Dasha Zhukova Niarchos | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey M Peek | Board Member | — | ||
| Gina Peterson | Board Member | — | ||
| Edward N Pick | Board Member | — | ||
| John Pritzker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sir Paul Ruddock | Board Member | — | ||
| Alejandro Santo Domingo | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew M Saul | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Patton Seymour | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew Solomon | Board Member | — | ||
| Beatrice Stern | Board Member | — | ||
| Gaby Sulzberger | Board Member | — | ||
| Ann G Tenenbaum | Board Member | — | ||
| Merryl H Tisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Mathew M Wambua | Board Member | — | ||
| David S Winter | Board Member | — | ||
| Dame Anna Wintour | Board Member | — | ||
| Bill de Blasio | Board Member | — | ||
| Corey Johnson | Board Member | — | ||
| Gonzalo Casals | Board Member | — | ||
| Scott Stringer | Board Member | — | ||
| Mitchell J Silver | Board Member | — | ||
| Margaret Nelson | Board Member | — | ||
| Gabrielle Fialkoff | Ex-Officio Trustee9/21 - 12/21 | — | ||
| Susan Donoghue | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Adrienne Adams | Board Member | — | ||
| Laurie Cumbo | Board Member | — | ||
| Brad Lander | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren A Meserve | SVP & Chief Investment Officer | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Daniel H Weiss | Executive Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Max Hollein | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Clyde B Jones III | SVP, Institutional Advancement | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Laurel Britton | SVP, Revenue & Ops. To 2/21 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jameson Kelleher | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharon H Cott | Secretary | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Tom Javits | Vice President | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Allison Rutledge-Parisi | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Quincy Houghton | Deputy Dir For Exhibitions | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth Weine | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Keith R Christiansen | Chairman, European Paintings | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Stephen A Manzi | Chief Dev Off, Indiv Giving | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Stephen Martin Mannello | GMM & Head Of Retail | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Michael B Gallagher | Conservation Chairman | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Andrea Bayer | Deputy Dir, Collections/Admin | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Keith Prewitt | Chief Security Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Inka Drogemuller | Dep Dir Digital/Edu/Pub/Lbrary | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Daniel Brodsky | Board President | — | ||
| Candace K Beinecke | Board President | — | ||
| Hamilton E James | Board President | — | ||
| Richard L Chilton Jr | Board President | — | ||
| Lulu C Wang | Board President | — | ||
| Charles N Atkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Debra Black | Board Member | — | ||
| Samantha Boardman | Board Member | — | ||
| James Breyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Wellington Z Chen | Board Member | — | ||
| Ursula Burns | Board Member | — | ||
| N Anthony Coles | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen M Cutler | Board Member | — | ||
| Blair Effron | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Fisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Colvin W Grannum | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey W Greenberg | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Griffin | Board Member | — | ||
| Caroline Diamond Harrison | Board Member | — | ||
| J Tomilson Hill | Board Member | — | ||
| Bonnie B Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Ming Chu Hsu | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael ByungJu Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Sacha Lainovic | Board Member | — | ||
| Philip F Maritz | Board Member | — | ||
| Howard Marks | Board Member | — | ||
| Catie Marron | Board Member | — | ||
| Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani | Board Member | — | ||
| Dasha Zhukova Niarchos | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey M Peek | Board Member | — | ||
| Gina Peterson | Board Member | — | ||
| Edward N Pick | Board Member | — | ||
| John Pritzker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sir Paul Ruddock | Board Member | — | ||
| Alejandro Santo Domingo | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Patton Seymour | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew Solomon | Board Member | — | ||
| Beatrice Stern | Board Member | — | ||
| Gaby Sulzberger | Board Member | — | ||
| Ann G Tenenbaum | Board Member | — | ||
| Merryl H Tisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Mathew M Wambua | Board Member | — | ||
| David S Winter | Board Member | — | ||
| Dame Anna Wintour | Board Member | — | ||
| Bill de Blasio | Board Member | — | ||
| Corey Johnson | Board Member | — | ||
| Mitchell J Silver | Board Member | — | ||
| Gonzalo Casals | Board Member | — | ||
| Scott Stringer | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren A Meserve | SVP, Chief Investment Officer | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Daniel H Weiss | Executive Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Max Hollein | Board Member | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Clyde B Jones III | SVP Institutional Advancement | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Justin V Reed | Investment Officer To 8/20 | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Rich Pedott | Vice President | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharon H Cott | Secretary | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jameson Kelleher | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Laurel Britton | SVP Revenue & Ops | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Allison Rutledge-Paris | Vice President | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Tom A Javits | Vice President | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Quincy Houghton | Deputy Dir Of Exhibitions | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth N Weine | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Andrea Bayer | Deputy Dir Of Collections | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Keith R Christiansen | Chairman, European Paintings | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Stephen A Manzi | Chief Dev. Officer Indiv | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Michael B Gallagher | Chairman, Paintings Conserv. | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Keith Prewitt | Chief Security Officer | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Jeffrey Spar | Vice President | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Inka Drogemuller | Dep Dir Digital/Edu/Library | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Debra Black | Board Member | — | ||
| Samantha Boardman | Board Member | — | ||
| James Breyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Wellington Z Chen | Board Member | — | ||
| N Anthony Coles | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen M Cutler | Board Member | — | ||
| Blair Effron | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Fisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Colvin W Grannum | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey W Greenberg | Board Member | — | ||
| Caroline Diamond Harri | Board Member | — | ||
| J Tomilson Hill | Board Member | — | ||
| Bonnie B Himmelman | Board Member | — | ||
| Ming Chu Hsu | Board Member | — | ||
| Hamilton E James | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael ByungJu Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Sacha Lainovic | Board Member | — | ||
| Philip F Maritz | Board Member | — | ||
| Howard Marks | Board Member | — | ||
| Catherine C Marron | Board Member | — | ||
| Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffrey M Peek | Board Member | — | ||
| Gina Peterson | Board Member | — | ||
| Edward N Pick | Board Member | — | ||
| John Pritzker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sir Paul Ruddock | Board Member | — | ||
| Alvaro Saieh | Board Member | — | ||
| Alejandro Santo Doming | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew M Saul | Board Member | — | ||
| Andrew Solomon | Board Member | — | ||
| Beatrice Stern | Board Member | — | ||
| Gaby Sulzberger | Board Member | — | ||
| Ann G Tenenbaum | Board Member | — | ||
| Merryl H Tisch | Board Member | — | ||
| Mathew M Wambua | Board Member | — | ||
| Dame Anna Wintour | Board Member | — | ||
| Dasha Zhukova | Board Member | — | ||
| Bill de Blasio | Board Member | — | ||
| Corey Johnson | Board Member | — | ||
| Mitchell J Silver | Board Member | — | ||
| Tom Finkelpearl | Board Member | — | ||
| Gonzalo Casals | Board Member | — | ||
| Scott Stringer | Board Member | — | ||
| Daniel Brodsky | Board Member | — | ||
| Richard L Chilton Jr | Board President | — | ||
| Lulu C Wang | Board President | — | ||
| Charles N Atkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Candace K Beinecke | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 38 other orgs in NY with NTEE prefix A5.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 16 points above the peer median (60 vs. 44).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 1.7% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
What would change this score
No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.