Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection auctioned for record $1.5 Billion

The art collection belonging to Paul Allen, the deceased co-founder of Microsoft, was auctioned for a record $1.5 billion. The collection, which included paintings and sculptures, was auctioned on Monday by Christie's auction house.

According to media reports, Paul Allen's collection included works of renowned artists like Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Cezanne. Christie's has called the Wednesday auction the biggest in auction sale history.





The auction house revealed that Paul Allen's art collection included 60 artworks created across five centuries. Overall, the 60 timeless pieces were sold for $1,506,386,000. Thus, Allen's collection becomes the most valuable private art collection ever.

Max Carter, the Vice Chairman of Christie's auction for the 20th and 21st centuries, said that it was the first time that more than a single painting was sold for $100 million in one night.

Wednesday saw five paintings going for upwards of $100 million, including four masterpieces by pioneers of modernist art - Cezanne, Seurat, Van Gogh and Gauguin.

According to a CBS News report, the most expensive artwork to be sold on Wednesday night was Georges Seurat's renowned pointillism piece from 1888, Les Poseuses, Ensemble, which was auctioned for a whopping $149.24 million.

Paul Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft, who passed away on October 15, 2018. The business magnate was one of the wealthiest tycoons in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion at the time of his death.

FAQs

How many artworks were sold on Wednesday night?
Christie's auction house confirmed that it sold 60 artworks on Wednesday night, fetching more than $1.5 billion.

Which painting fetched the highest price?
Georges Seurat’s Les Poseuses, Ensemble (1888).