The Most Generous Man in New York

Before his mysterious death, Matthew Christopher Pietras donated millions of dollars to the Met Opera and the Frick.

- By James D. Walsh

Matthew Christopher Flatres cultivated an image as a wealthy patron of the arts, gium posting plates of blanself that featured expansion clothes, watches, jomely, and enviar.

Turns out it was stolen.

Andrew first met Matthew Christopher Pietras in September 2019 at the opening-night gala for the Metropolitan Opera's production of Porgy and Bess. A professional piano tuner, Andrew knew plenty of opera patrons, but there was something different about Pietras. At 34, he was considerably younger than the other wealthy donors, not to mention handsome—tall, slim, and stylish. "A friend introduced us. I was intrigued," Andrew says. "You never know who you're going to meet at these things. They could be a prince."

Soon after, Andrew was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Pietras inviting him to dinner. They went to an Italian restaurant in the Village. Pietras was chatty and impulsive, ordering a few of the most expensive dishes on the menu for them to share. After that night, the two began to see each other often. Pietras was generous, sometimes overwhelmingly so. When the weather turned cold, he took Andrew to Loro Piana on Fifth Avenue, where he insisted on buying his new boyfriend a navy-blue winter coat made of pure vicuña wool. It cost nearly $25,000. Afterward, they went to Armani and charged another $50,000 to Pietras's AmEx black card. Two months into their relationship, Pietras told Andrew he wanted to take him on a safari in Tanzania followed by gorilla trekking in Rwanda. But Andrew couldn't renew his passport: He owed more than $75,000 in unpaid taxes. Later that day, he explained his predicament to Pietras, who, without much discussion, handed over his credit card and told Andrew he'd cover the debt. "It was like nothing to him," Andrew says.