Top-10 art collectors
ARTinvestment.RU   29 июня 2008

Top collectors of works of art according to U.S. magazine ArtNews is based on surveys conducted among collectors, art dealers, the auction houses, museum directors, curators, and consultants in 22 countries around the world

In the July issue of the influential American magazine ArtNews will be published a list of 200 most important collectors of art. Rating is based on the polls, which correspondents conducted among collectors, art dealers, the auction houses, museum directors, curators, and consultants in 22 countries around the world.

Despite the economic crisis in the U.S., more than half of the collectors that are included in the rating - the Americans. And even in the Top-10, they occupy six positions. Of the two most important collectors of 107 permanent residents in the United States (37 of them in New York). Today, however, Americans in the list is smaller than it has ever been. The annual rating is made for over 18 years, and until this year, the number of collectors from the States has not dropped below the 60-70 per cent.

The main trend of the ranking - the growing number of collectors from the former Soviet Union, Middle East and Latin America. Since last year, gave way to four top ten positions, of which only one belongs to the Americans: the investor Leon Black and his wife Debre. Other «newcomers» - Ukrainian steel magnate Viktor Pinchuk, Qatar, Sheikh Saud Bin Muhammad Bin Ali Al-Thani and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Elu (holding, by the way, the second place in the list of the richest people in the world, according to the magazine Forbes).

78 per cent of the collectors prefer to buy contemporary art. Second place - modernism, the third - impressionism. But the list also represented collectors, enthusiastic gathering of ethnic art, photographs, rare books, furniture ...

Despite the crisis the world financial system, the art market is growing unprecedented pace. Only in May of this year's auction the works of impressionism, modernism and post-war art auction houses Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips de Pury & Co., Had 1.57 billion dollars. According to some participants rating own collection, whose value exceeds $ 2 billion. And prices are rising, which once again confirms the extraordinary appeal of art as an object for investment.

In the Top-10 most important collectors of art is composed of (in alphabetical order):

1. Leon and Debra Black, New York, United States

Leon Black - investor, founder of Apollo Management LP. His wife - a theatrical producer. Collected works of old masters, Chinese sculpture, impressionism, modernism, contemporary art.

2. Eli and Edith Brody, Los Angeles, USA

Eli Brody - the founder of the financial giant SunAmerica. He and his wife engaged in collecting modern art. Their collection includes works by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and others. In January, the wife Brody said that will no longer be selling works from his collection. In 2003, they donated $ 60 million for the construction of the Museum of Modern Art spouses Brody (Broad Contemporary Art Museum), which became part of the District Art Museum of Los Angeles (LACMA). In 2007, the wife made 26 million dollars for the construction of the Art Museum, Eli and Edith Brody (Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum) at the State University of Michigan. Project architect Zaha Hadid was elected.

3. Steven Cohen, of Greenwich, United States

Founder of hedge fund SAC Capital Partners (Stamford, Connecticut). Is the nickname «The King of hedge funds». Collects mainly impressionism and modernism, and post-war art. On account of his purchase of many products-«blockbusters»: for instance, in 1999 he bought the picture «Madonna» Edvard Munch in 2004 - the installation of «physical impossibility of death in the minds of living» Demiena Hirst (famous «shark in formalin»). Going to build a museum for his collection in the town of Greenwich (Conn.).

4. Henry and Marie-Jose Krevis, New York, USA

Henry Krevis - the founder of investment firm KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.). Marie-Jose Krevis (nee Druen) - economist from Canada, President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (NY MOMA). Have collected graphics and paintings by old masters, impressionism, art of XX century French furniture.

5. Jo Carole and Ronald Lauder, New York, USA

Ronald Lauder - businessman, founder of the younger son of cosmetics company Estee Lauder Este Lauder and Joseph. Former U.S. Ambassador to Austria. In 1989 he was a candidate for mayor of New York. In 2007 he was elected president of the World Jewish Congress. Devoted much time to finding works of art selected by the Nazis from Jewish collectors during the Holocaust. Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2001, opened in New York, Neue Galerie, a museum of German and Austrian art expressionists. In 2006, bought the «Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer» Gustav Klimt for 135 million dollars, which was the highest price ever paid zaproizvedenie art. Wife Jo Carole Lauder - President of the International Council of Museum of Modern Art in New York.

6. François Pinault, Paris, France

Head of the company PPR. The owner of the auction Christie's. His collection of contemporary art - one of the largest in the world. It includes works by Dan Flavina, Bruce Naumann, Hiroshi Sugimoto and others. In 2006, bought a Venetian Palazzo Grassi, which exhibits works from its collection.

7. Viktor Pinchuk, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

Founder Interpipe Group. Son-in-law of former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. In 2006, Victor Pinchuk Foundation opened the Center for Contemporary Art in Kiev. In 2007, the Center represented Ukraine at the Venice Biennale. Owns one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the CIS countries. Its collection includes works by artists from Russia and the CIS - Boris Mikhailov , Sergei Bratkov , Arsen Savadov and others, as well as works by world famous artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Subodh Gupta , Carsten Heller, etc.

8. Mitchell Reyls, Washington, USA

Founder Danaher Corp. Collects modernism and contemporary art. Opened in the town of Potomac (Maryland) Museum Glenstoun (Gle nstone Museum).

9. Carlos Slim Elu, Mexico City, Mexico

Affiliate status in the business of telecommunication. Currently ranked second in the list of the richest people in the world, according to the magazine Forbes. Its collection includes sculptures of Auguste Rodin, paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh and many other world famous artists. In memory of his wife, who died in 1999, founded the museum in Mexico City Soumayi (Soumaya Museum).

10. Sheikh Saud Bin Muhammad Bin Ali Al-Thani, Doha, Qatar

representative of the royal family of Qatar. Buy ethnic art, cars and furniture 1910's - 1930's, photography, rare books, classical sculpture, painting, etc. The majority of products is going to place in the museums that are currently being built in his country.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: artnews.com , bloomberg.com , nysun.com , artinvestment.ru

See discussion on the theme «Collectors» on forum.