Wealth-X Unveils World's Wealthiest Artists

LONDON, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With the art world converging on London to behold and buy works from contemporary masters at the annual Frieze Art Festival, Wealth-X today released a list of the top 5 wealthiest artists.

Emerging at the top of the list is internationally renowned British artist Damien Hirst, whose net worth is US$350 million, according to data from Wealth-X, the world's leading ultra high net worth (UHNW) intelligence provider.

Hirst – who is famous for his provocative artworks featuring dead animal parts preserved in formaldehyde – made history by becoming the first living artist to sell a complete show at a Sotheby's auction, rather than through individual galleries. The show, entitled Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, raised a whopping US$198 million – smashing the previously held record for a one-artist auction. 

American abstract expressionist painter and sculptor Jasper Johns came in second on the list with a net worth of US$210 million. In 2006, Johns' painting False Start was purchased by private collectors for US$80 million – the largest amount ever paid for a painting by a living artist.

Below are top 5 wealthiest artists worldwide:

Also appearing on the list is American painter David Choe, who has amassed of fortune of US$100 million. In 2007, Choe was commissioned by Mark Zuckerberg to paint murals on the walls of Facebook's office. Choe opted to be paid in Facebook stock rather than cash, a move that gave him a significant windfall at the company's IPO in 2012.

For more information on the global UHNW population, download the Wealth-X and UBS World Ultra Wealth Report at http://www.wealthx.com/wealthxubswealthreport/

About Wealth-X
Wealth-X is the definitive source of intelligence on the ultra wealthy with the world's largest collection of curated research on ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals, defined as those with net assets of US$30 million and above. Headquartered in Singapore, it has 12 offices in five continents. (www.wealth-x.com)

SOURCE Wealth-X

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED