In addition to being known as a co-founder of Microsoft with an impressive career, Paul Allen was one of the greatest collectors of fine art. His collection, valued at a staggering one billion dollars, will be auctioned by Christie’s in early November.
According to Business Insider, the sale will feature artworks from both contemporary and classical painters and sculptors, some over five hundred years old. The collection, titled 'Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection', contains a total of 150 works, each valued between 1.5 million and 120 million dollars, and the entire amount raised, according to Paul Allen’s wishes, will be donated for philanthropic purposes.
Philanthropist Billionaire
Paul Allen passed away in 2018 at the age of 65 from complications related to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although he left Microsoft after a dispute with Gates in 1983, he was able to enjoy billions thanks to his stake in the company, which soon after his departure became a true technology giant.
Being an art lover, he invested a large part of his wealth in purchasing works by renowned artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, O’Keefe, and many others.
– I buy these works because I truly love them… However, they will outlive us. I am just their temporary guardian – Paul Allen once said, who at the time of his death was the 27th richest person in the world.
In addition to his stake in Microsoft, where he was a board member until 2000 and later a management advisor, Allen owned numerous properties, impressive artworks, the NBA basketball team Portland Trail Blazers and the NFL team Seattle Seahawks, and donated over one and a half billion dollars.
