These are the top 5 of the world's most important art collectors
Many masterpieces of art are hidden from the public and are privately owned by rich collectors and art lovers who have a great passion for paintings and sculptures. Find out which five collectors have spent up to nine-digit amounts on blue chip art.
First of all, it is important that the list does not claim to be exhaustive. This is because many private art collectors protect their treasures from public eyes. In addition, there is no “official” ranking of the world's most important art fans. ArtNews publishes an annual ranking, which, however, is more of a snapshot: the “ARTnews Top 200 Collectors.” The collectors listed therein are actively active in the art market, acquire important works and support the development of contemporary art. They therefore play a key role in shaping trends in the art market and promoting creativity and innovation. However, the collectors featured in the ArtNews list may vary from year to year, depending on developments in the art market and their purchases. We therefore focus more on almost legendary collectors of the past and present.
1. Francois Pinault
François Pinault, born on August 21, 1936, is a French entrepreneur, billionaire and perhaps the biggest art collector of our time. He is known as the founder of luxury company Kering and investment holding Artémis. As far as collecting art is concerned, Pinault has acquired modern and contemporary masterpieces for over 30 years and amassed a collection of over 2,500 works of art. His first purchase was in London in 1972, when he purchased the painting “Cour de ferme en Bretagne” by French artist Paul Sérusier. Today, its collections and museums house important artists such as Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst or Jeff Koons. In 2006, Pinault founded the Pinault Collection, a museum of contemporary art in Palazzo Grassi in Venice. He later also acquired the Punta della Dogana, another exhibition venue in Venice to present parts of his collection. In 2021, it finally opened in the former Paris Trade Exchange the new exhibition venue for François Pinault's art collection.
2. Ezra and David Nahmad
The Nahmad family with roots in Lebanon is primarily known for creating a extensive collection of works by artist Pablo Picasso to own. The collection of the brothers Ezra and David is considered one of the largest and most important in the world. In addition to Picasso, it houses works by Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Auguste Renoir and Mark Rothkound, among others, and has an estimated total value of three billion dollars. Ezra and David Nahmad are said to be primarily businessmen and like to collect art when they can sell it at a profit. In fact, they own a stash of impressionist and modern art, which is stored in a tax-free warehouse in Switzerland.
3rd David Geffen
David Geffen is an entertainment magnate (Dream Works, Geffen Records...) and an enthusiastic art collector whose total inventory is estimated at a total of 2.3 billion dollars. Geffen bought post-war masterpieces by Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock, among others. But he is also a businessman and is known for making significant deals with major works of art. In 2016, he sold works by Willem de Kooning and Pollock to Kenneth C. Griffin for half a billion dollars. For Jackson Pollock's painting No. 5 (1948), Geffen received a whopping 140 million dollars from Mexican financier David Martinez.
4. Eli and Edythe Broad
The couple Eli and Edythe Broad had a clear division of roles until Eli's death in 2021: Eli Broad focused on buying, Edythe Broad's focus on what is being bought. Over more than five decades, the two have assembled one of the world's leading collections of postwar and contemporary art, whose total value is estimated at around two billion dollars. It comprises over 2,000 works by 200 artists, including Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Barbara Kruger and Yayoi Kusuma. The largest part of their collection is in The Broad Museum in Los Angeles issued. There are around 500 works in the private collection and a further 1,500 works belong to the Broad Art Foundation, which the couple established as a loan archive in 1984. Notable works by the boards include “Two Marilyns” by Warhol, an untitled work by Rauschenberg and “I... I'm Sorry” by Lichtenstein.
5. Yusaku Maezawa
Yusaku Maezawa was born in Japan on November 22, 1975. The founder of Zozotown, Japan's largest online clothing store, earned billions with his e-commerce business, which the great art lover spends on masterpieces. For example, for renowned contemporary artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat or Jeff Koons. In 2016 alone, Maezawa purchased seven works at Christie's and Sotheby's auctions for a total of 98 million dollars. These included important works such as Bruce Nauman's “Eat War” (1986), Jeff Koon's “Lobster” (2007) and Alexander Calder's “Sumac 17" (1955). The following year, 2017, Maezawa caused a stir again when he bought a Jean-Michel Basquiat at a Sotheby's auction for a record-breaking 110 million dollars. In addition to art, Yusaku Maezawa is also enthusiastic about space: In 2023, he actually wanted to be the first private customer to travel around the moon with SpaceX. However, the flight was postponed indefinitely.
