Overview
- Sotheby’s said the buyer was a famous American brand, handled publicly by executive Cassandra Hatton, though the name was not disclosed.
- Bidding was anchored to an estimate based on the toilet’s bullion value at about $9.9 million, and the hammer price only modestly exceeded that baseline.
- The work is a functioning 18‑carat gold toilet weighing roughly 101 kilograms, first exhibited for public use at the Guggenheim in 2016 and shown in a Sotheby’s bathroom before the sale.
- This is the only remaining version after an identical installation was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019, causing flooding and presumed to have been dismantled and melted.
- Multiple reports identified the seller as New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, and coverage noted disappointment that the result did not command a larger artistic premium.