Charlie Sheen’s Tweetmaster and best friend Bob Maron–the guy who’s omnipresent throughout Sheen’s meltdown–once made nearly a million bucks off of India’s most revered leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Two years ago this very week Maron, as head of Antiquorum Auctioneers, sold Gandhi’s eyeglasses, drinking cup, and other personal possessions in a controversial auction that set off an international furor. According to the New York Times in March 2009, Maron took half the selling price–$900,000–plus a commission that came to just over $1 million.
The owner of the items, James Otis, a Los Angeles filmmaker and collector, decided at the last minute not to sell the Gandhi collectibles. But Maron–who deals in expensive watches like rare Rolexes- refused to stop the auction. It went through, and the owner of India’s biggest beer company bought them. In the end, Vijay Mallya said he would start a foundation with Otis that would tour the possessions around India. It’s unclear whether that’s ever happened.
Maron, meanwhile, appears to be the motor behind Sheen’s new deals with Twitter, etc. On Friday, which is eons ago in Sheen’s lightning fast world, Maron told a radio interviewer that he thought Sheen was ok and that everything would work out. That was before Sheen was fired from “Two and A Half Men,” and had two video meltdowns on the internet.
PS Strange coincidence? Otis has another Sheen connection: he told reporters in 2009 that he was making a documentary with Charlie’s dad, Martin Sheen.
