In certain cases of theft of works of art, exceptional financial levers are sometimes mobilized to promote restitution. This is the case after the burglary of a chalet in Haut-Valais in Switzerland, where criminals targeted small, easily transportable paintings in September 2025. The stolen paintings are believed to be modern paintings by renowned masters. The total value of the loot is estimated at several million, even several tens of millions of Swiss francs.
To encourage the return of the paintings, SW Associates, a Parisian firm specializing in the management of complex claims and “high-end” risks, publicly announced a bonus of one million euros. This reward will go to the first person to provide information leading to the location of the stolen paintings. The million euros is a ceiling. The final amount awarded will depend on the number and value of the items returned. The offer specifies that the return of the works is an essential condition for payment of the reward.
SW Associates is used to this type of operation. The firm had promised a similar reward of one million euros in 2013 to locate diamonds stolen during the heist of the “Extraordinary Diamonds” exhibition at the Carlton hotel in Cannes. John Shaw, head of the firm, also offered in 2008 one million euros to find the 85 million euros of jewelry stolen during the robbery of the Harry Winston jewelry store in Paris. The operation resulted in the resolution of the case six months later.
