Paul Allen’s extraordinary art collection is set to be sold off at what will be the largest auction of its kind in history.
In 2018, Microsoft’s late co-founder passed away. His collection, which includes 150 works by Botticelli, Renoir and David Hockney, was valued at $1billion.
Christie’s auction house will be managing the auction, scheduled for November, and all proceeds will go to charity in accordance with Allen’s wishes.
Microsoft was founded by Allen and Bill Gates in 1975. He left the company after being diagnosed in 1983 with Hodgkin lymphoma. He stayed on the company’s board until 2000, and founded his own company with his sister Jody to manage his huge investment portfolio and to expedite his philanthropy. He pledged in 2010 to give the majority of his fortune to charity. This is a move Gates also made.
Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerutti said 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.”
Jody Allen, the executor of the estate, added of her late brother’s choice of works: “It reflects the diversity of his interests, with their own mystique and beauty.”
