Hirst Rakes in $200 Million in Two Days

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Sep 17th 2008 at 8:03AM

Art world provocateur Damien Hirst just raked in a staggering $200.8 million in total over his two-day solo sale at Sotheby's in London, shattering pre-sale estimates. The dollar figure set a new world record for an auction dedicated to a single artist, Reuters reports. Fittingly enough since Hirst recently compared himself to Picasso, the previous solo sale record was set in 1993 at a Picasso auction; Hirst's total is ten times as large.

Although buyers of works such as the gold-dipped bull which went for nearly $18 million have not been identified, we're guessing the name of one Roman Abramovich will soon surface, especially since his hot young gallery-owning girlfriend Dasha Zhukova was given a personal, private tour of the Sotheby's inventory by Hirst himself prior to the event. In any case the jackpot should help shore up Hirst's claim that he is now a bona fide billionaire.

Tags: Contemporary art, ContemporaryArt, Damien Hirst, DamienHirst, dasha zhukova, DashaZhukova, Picasso, roman abramovich, RomanAbramovich, Sothebys

Filed under: Auctions, Art

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dean Sep 17th 2008 9:02AM

If Damien Hirst is preserving animals that have not died of natural causes, in formaldehyde, in the name of art, my next project suggestion is that he be preserved in formaldehyde in his current state, after all, it is for art. Imagine how much money that would bring in.

Patricia Sep 17th 2008 11:43AM

Congratulations! This is well deserved. Your work is fabulous.

Tyler Sep 17th 2008 5:25PM

Damien Hirst is a flavor of the decade..nothing more. His
'works' (BTW which require a team to produce vice the blood swaet and
tears soley of the artist) will long be forgotten years from now.
Secondary sales will be nonexistant as hedge fund managers and idiotic
wealthy with zero taste move onto new ridiculous art scams.

Kat Sep 17th 2008 11:51AM

Geesh how about a loan!

Woody Sep 17th 2008 11:58AM

What a PIG, yep I'm jealous..... If only I could come up with a stupid idea and call it art or I should have come up with the "pet rock" idea.
People who pay for this kind of crap need to check themselves.

teachem2think Sep 18th 2008 1:45PM

The stupidity of people, with or without money, never ceases to amaze me.

emoney402 Sep 17th 2008 1:13PM

Wow, another person of no paticular worldly value becomes a billionare. Its a good thing that art helps save people lives. Money well spent in my opinion.

Soon time has come! Sep 17th 2008 1:49PM

Hirst, if you call America home just wait until Obama gets hold of your income and shares it with all of us.
Obama will set things right and tax these jerks 80%.
Go Obama!
It is time for a change!

Charli Sep 17th 2008 1:35PM

Is he married ??? he he he ........ I'm single if he is ! ha ha ha ha I'd marry him !! Today ! And I'm married ! ha ha ha I'm 47 yrs old and married - but I can get single Quick for this guy !!! ha ha

Joe Sep 17th 2008 1:45PM

Woody said...
What a PIG, yep I'm jealous..... If only I could come up with a stupid idea and call it art or I should have come up with the "pet rock" idea.
People who pay for this kind of crap need to check themselves.
===================Woody, I know the guy who came up with the "Pet Rock" thing and they were called "Stony Malonies" in the early 70's. He sold lots of them and would even paint them to look like someone. He never did make any real money on them but is now a wourld renouned artist. His name is Ruane Manning.

Susan Sep 17th 2008 1:51PM

His art is great!! That's alot of money, I would be happy owning my own home. He earned it, enjoy!!

Razor Sep 17th 2008 3:01PM

Picasso had a boyhood friend. When they grew up the friend was shocked at Picasso's success and was heard to say, "I knew I should have taken up painting."

Art and creativity is a gift given to some. But, for one to have desireable art they need to have a buyer. Hirst has buyers. Way to go.

Diana Sep 17th 2008 3:05PM

The idiots are the ones with way too much money spending it on stuffed animals.The guy should be laughing al the way to the bank,laughing at the fools that would give him one cent for that crap.

kenny17995 Sep 18th 2008 11:00PM

that really is unbelievable. I guess people like to show off their wealth by buying ridiculous items for insane amounts of money. Hirst just keeps cashing in on art that is really just not art at all. People are struggling to make money every day and this guy is making hundreds of millions of dollars from pieces of worthless crap.

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