Christie’s auction house is holding the largest-ever art auction in history to sell an estimated $1bn worth of art belonging to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
As per Allen’s wish, Christie’s auction house said proceeds of the November sale would go to charity. Masterpieces by Botticelli, Renoir, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein are all part of the massive collection.
The auction will find buyers for 150 works of art spanning 500 years. Pieces on sale include La Montagne Sainte-Victoire by French painter Paul Cezanne, valued at more than $100m.
British broadcaster BBC quoted Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerutti as saying the auction would be like no other. “The inspirational figure of Paul Allen, the extraordinary quality and diversity of works, and the dedication of all proceeds to philanthropy, create a unique combination that will make the sale of the Paul G Allen Collection an event of unprecedented magnitude,” he said.
Art was “both analytical and emotional” to Mr Allen, he said. According to Jody Allen, Mr Allen’s sister, the executor of the estate – the collection “reflects the diversity of his interests, with their own mystique and beauty”.
Mr Allen quit Microsoft in 1983 after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. His relationship with co-founder Bill Gates had also deteriorated. But later in life his relationship with Gates would improve. He remained on the company’s board until 2000.
In 2010 Allen pledged to leave the majority of his fortune to charity after his death. At the time, he was the 37th richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated $13.5bn fortune.
