The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has seen its chief operating officer resign following an independent investigation that uncovered the theft of $600,000 from the museum. The Woodruff Arts Center, the museum’s parent organization, disclosed to Hyperallergic that they initially noticed “financial irregularities” in December. This prompted an external probe that “eventually linked the discrepancies to High Museum COO Brady Lum, who was put on administrative leave during the inquiry and has now resigned.” Lum’s resignation was reportedly submitted on December 9, though the timeline of when his alleged involvement became known remains unclear.
The investigative firm presented their findings to the US Attorney’s Office in Atlanta for any necessary actions. Hyperallergic reached out to Lum, who allegedly ended a call with Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters seeking his comment this week. Lum, a longstanding executive with the museum since 2019, previously held roles as the president and chief operating officer of Special Olympics International and an executive at Coca-Cola, as noted in a 2008 press release. He earned his MBA from Harvard University in 1993.
The US Attorney, Theodore S. Hertzberg, confirmed to Hyperallergic that on February 24, his office received details from the Woodruff Arts Center’s legal team and “forwarded them to the FBI for evaluation.” The center assured that the reported theft would not compromise the High Museum’s “financial stability or operations.” The institution’s 2024 tax filings revealed assets surpassing $543.7 million and an annual revenue of $11.6 million. The statement added, “We have engaged an independent forensic auditor and other specialists to examine this issue and suggest enhancements to fortify the processes at the High Museum and Woodruff Arts Center.”
