Renowned businessman and passionate art collector Leonard Riggio has died at the age of 83, following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family has announced. Riggio, best known as the driving force behind Barnes & Noble, also made significant contributions to the art world, acquiring key pieces of Minimalist art and generously supporting the Dia Art Foundation.

Although Riggio's art collection may have been less widely recognized than his leadership in the bookselling industry, it was highly regarded and closely watched. Together with his wife Louise, he appeared on ARTnews's Top 200 Collectors list every year since 1999. Their dedication to the arts helped the Dia Art Foundation, a New York organization that has played a crucial role in defining Minimalist art, undertake various projects that have fueled its expansion in the last two decades.

In honor of Riggio's contributions, Dia shared a quote from him on social media: "Then and now, Dia remains rooted in a single idea: to the greatest extent possible each artist should conceive the architecture, environment, and context in which his or her works are viewed." Accompanying the quote was an image of Richard Serra's "Torqued Ellipses," monumental steel sculptures that visitors can walk into at Dia:Beacon, the organization's museum in Upstate New York. These captivating artworks were obtained through Riggio's generous $30 million gift to the foundation, assisting in the acquisition of significant artworks.

Riggio held a prominent position as the chairman of Dia from 1998 to 2006, during which he played a pivotal role in leading the organization as it opened the doors of Dia:Beacon within a former Nabisco factory. His passion for the foundation was such that he considered it his "full-time job," overshadowing his role as executive chairman of Barnes & Noble. This dedication exemplified his unwavering commitment to promoting and supporting the arts.

Born in New York in 1941, Riggio spent much of his childhood in Brooklyn. Aftermatriculating from high school, he pursued night classes at New York University. However, his love for the world of books led him to work at the university's bookstore, first as a stock boy. Riggio later dropped out of school and in 1965, founded the Student Book Exchange, which ultimately became a competitor to NYU's bookstore. Over time, his enterprise gained popularity, expanding to multiple locations.

In 1971, Riggio made a significant move by acquiring Barnes & Noble's sole store in Manhattan. Under his leadership, the bookstore flourished, becoming an empire in its own right. Riggio steered the company until 2019 when it was acquired by Elliott Advisors for $638 million.

Alongside his successful venture in the bookselling industry, Riggio and his wife Louise cultivated an impressive art collection. Starting in 1994, they developed a passion for collecting, acquiring works by renowned modern artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, and Piet Mondrian.

However, it was a visit to Dia's Chelsea space in 1997 that transformed Riggio's perspective on art. Astonished by the works of Richard Serra showcased there, the couple took bold steps, installing Serra's monumental steel sculpture, Sidewinder (1999), on their lawn. Their collection began to embrace highly conceptual art, showcasing their willingness to take risks and follow their artistic instincts.

Reflecting on his collecting philosophy, Riggio once shared, "I like to buy art by feel more than by sight, and these artists feel a certain way to me." His approach focused on the art itself, rather than creating narrative connections between the artists he collected.

Leonard Riggio leaves behind a lasting legacy as both an influential entrepreneur and a patron of the arts. With his visionary leadership and profound impact on the Barnes & Noble empire, as well as his invaluable support for the Dia Art Foundation, he will be remembered as a driving force in multiple realms, shaping the worlds of business and art alike.