The New York Times profiles Michael Govan and LACMA’s transformational expansion project. The profile has the usual take on Govan’s personality but focuses on the question of whether he can raise the money necessary to build a new museum.

Adam Nagourney goes out of his way to point out that David Geffen has not pledged. Though Govan says he has $300m committed and is aiming to land another $150m this year:

“I can’t say it strongly enough: It’s not a question of whether there’s money in L.A for such a project: There is,” Mr. Govan said, sitting in his expansive ground-floor office with a view of Wilshire Boulevard, where workers were cutting down palm trees to make way for the subway line. “The question is, will people decide that’s what they want to do with it.”

“If they do this” — at this, Mr. Govan paused to amend his remarks – “when they do this, not if — it will be a new high-water mark for collective action, for achievement in the cultural space and in the philanthropic space of Los Angeles. It is not a large goal. We’re going to do it. They are going to write the checks. And they are going to be happy to do it.”

Is This L.A.’s $600 Million Man?  (The New York Times)