The Auctioneer

“In this eye-opening memoir . . . a distinguished auctioneer and art dealer . . . provides a lively account of his flashy career and today’s soaring art market.” —Publishers Weekly

“Simon de Pury’s mission is to bring beauty to all people. This book is a wild ride that will get you hooked on art.” —Russell Simmons

“Simon’s boundless energy is unparalleled. He transforms the auction house from a marketplace to a rock arena.” —Sarah Jessica Parker

From the beginning of Simon de Pury’s brilliant career as the curator to Baron H. H. Thyssen-Bornemisza, the world’s greatest private art collector, he has skyrocketed to his current position as an entrepreneur of aesthetics with one of the highest profiles of anyone in the art world. Now, in The Auctioneer, de Pury tells the story of his relentless rise to the top. However, this is no mere memoir, but rather a primer on how to succeed in the most glamorous—and arguably ruthless—business in the world. Filled with tales of greed, treachery, and avarice, with a cast of characters that ranges from royal families to Wall Street tycoons to third-world billionaire money launderers, The Auctioneer peels back the secrets and lies of the age-old rivalry between Sotheby’s and Christie’s, the Olympian competition for the most legendary paintings in the world, and the riveting intersection of art, romance, and big money that turns every chapter into a cliffhanger.

Filled with an array of the greatest names of the contemporary art world, The Auctioneer lets you know the who, the how, and why these are the people you must know. They are people who can have anything and anyone, and The Auctioneer tells you what they want and how they get it. You will meet the greatest collectors: Thysen, Niarchos, Geffen, Cohen, Kanye, Jay Z, DiCaprio. The great dealers from Beyeler to Gagosian. The great artists: from Warhol to Basquiat to Schnabel and Fischl to Koons and Hirst. The wonder women of the art world: from Boone to Brooks to Macbain. All these superstars have played key parts in the drama. Simon de Pury has witnessed it all . . . and now, he tells all.

“A memoir full of gossip, anecdotes, and tales of the very, very rich. . . . [de Pury] delivers plenty of juicy tidbits about some of the world’s 1 percent. However, this is also the story of a man wholly dedicated to his profession, a jet-setter before the jet age . . . an enjoyable book that lets us live vicariously in the haut mode.” —Kirkus Reviews