An extensive art collection of the late Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, consisting of over 150 masterpieces, will be put up for sale in November, with preliminary estimate putting its worth at a record $1 billion, the UK-based auction house Christie's said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2022) An extensive art collection of the late microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, consisting of over 150 masterpieces, will be put up for sale in November, with preliminary estimate putting its worth at a record $1 billion, the UK-based auction house Christie's said on Friday.
"Christie's and the estate of philanthropist Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, are proud to announce an historic auction of more than 150 masterpieces spanning 500 years of art history," the auction house said.
The collection, valued at over $1 billion, is expected to become "the largest and most exceptional art auction in history," Christie's said, adding that the art pieces will be sold at the Rockefeller Center in November 2022.
"All sale proceeds will be dedicated to philanthropy, pursuant to Mr. Allen's wishes," Christie's said.
The Wall Street Journal has estimated that the collection may surpass the $922-million artwork trove amassed by real estate mogul Harry Macklowe and his former wife Linda Macklowe, which was sold earlier this year.
According to the newspaper, Christie's will auction masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Roy Lichtenstein and other outstanding artists.
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and by 1990s became an avid art collector and participated in multiple auctions. In 2020, he created the renowned Museum of Pop Culture in his hometown, Seattle, and loaned dozens of art pieces from his collection to museum around the world. Allen died in 2018.
