4. Jeff Koons – $500m
Unlike reclusive artists like Banksy or Brice Marden, Jeff Koons, born in 1955, thrives on publicity, and this has paid off in terms of reverence and notoriety among the super-rich and the art world. His kitsch, pop culture images from those of Michael Jackson and Bubbles to balloon animals have brought him international success, and his Silver Bunny sculpture is the most expensive artwork ever sold by a living artist at $91 million. With money like that, he can afford to maintain and run his 1500m square foot factory studio in Chelsea, New York.
See also: Tamara de Lempicka Painting Sells for New Record Price at Christie’s
3. Damien Hirst – $1bn
Britain’s richest artist has enjoyed non-stop success and attention since he came onto the scene with the Young British Artists in the 1990s. From formaldehyde to spots to roundels and mandalas, from high profile flops to pharmacies, Hirst has dominated the art world for decades. There can be no doubting his business acumen, most prominently when he orchestrated his own sale at Sotheby’s in 2008, walking away from an evening with $200m as the financial crash erupted around him.
