Over two extraordinary days last week, Christie’s conducted the largest art auction in history, selling the unparalleled art collection of Paul G. Allen, the late philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft. When the final hammer came down on Nov. 10, Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection had shattered the record for the most valuable auction of all time, achieving $1.5 billion in a single evening and a staggering $1.62 billion in aggregate. All of the estate’s proceeds from the sale will be dedicated to philanthropy, pursuant to Mr. Allen’s wishes.
The sale included 155 works spanning a period of 500 years. Bidders from around the globe participated live in New York City, as well as by phone and online. The auction was 100% sold, and the $1.62 billion total was well in excess of the pre-auction estimate.