What Christie's does

Christie's is the world's oldest and second-largest fine art auction house, founded in London in 1766 and privately held by French billionaire François Pinault. The firm operates a multi-channel transactional platform spanning live auctions in seven major art market capitals (London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Geneva, Shanghai, Dubai), online-only auctions across 70+ collecting categories with 14-21 day bidding windows, and a Private Sales division that brokered $1.5B in off-market transactions in 2025. Its proprietary technology stack centers on Christie's Live (real-time streaming auction technology), an extended online auction platform, and a cataloguing and provenance research system built over 259 years of single-owner estate sales.

The company generates revenue primarily through a tiered buyer's premium (up to 27% on lower-value hammer prices, declining to 15% above GBP 6M / USD 8M), a seller's commission with a 2% performance fee above estimate, and ancillary advisory services including complimentary auction estimates. In 2025, Christie's reported $6.2B in global auction sales (6% YoY), $3.5B in fine-art auction sales (#1 globally), $795M in luxury (jewelry, watches, handbags), and strong growth in private treaty sales (+41%) and MENA (+73%). Marquee consignments — the S.I. Newhouse Collection ($1.1B, May 2026), Zabludowicz Collection (89% sell-through), and estates like Jim Irsay ($93M+) — anchor pricing power, while ongoing expansion into wine retail (Rockefeller Center, June 2026), collector vehicles (Gooding & Company acquisition, 2024), antiquities and natural history, and Asia-Pacific institutional partnerships (Kiran Nadar Museum of Art) extend the addressable surface beyond traditional fine art.

Name

Christie's

Legal name

Christie's International Plc

Website

https://christies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1766

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Christie's is a 259-year-old, London-headquartered global auction house (privately held by François Pinault) operating live and online auctions plus private sales across 70+ fine art and luxury categories from seven major art market capitals, serving ultra-high-net-worth collectors, museums, and estates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Auctions

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992), Jewelry Retailers (458310), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces (CRAKAKAA), Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO), Jewelry, Watches & Luxury Goods Online Retailers (CRAFADAN)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Luxury collectibles
• Private art sales
• Online auction platform
• Auction house services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Christie's charges buyers a premium on the hammer price: 27% up to thresholds (GBP 1M/USD 1.5M), then 22% on the next tier, and 15% above. Wine auctions have a flat 25% buyer's premium globally except Shanghai (20%).
2. Private Sales Commission: Private treaty sales generated $1.5 billion in 2025, growing 41% year-over-year, representing a significant revenue stream outside public auctions.
3. Seller's Commission: Christie's charges sellers a single commission rate calculated as a fixed percentage of the hammer price, with a 2% performance fee if the sale exceeds the agreed estimate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Christie's conducts live and online auctions of fine art, luxury goods, and collectibles across more than 70 categories, complemented by private treaty sales and themed selling exhibitions. It earns revenue through buyer's premiums, seller's commissions, and private sale commissions on transactions brokered across global salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Geneva, Shanghai, and Dubai.

Product overview

Christie's operates as a global auction house offering a comprehensive platform for fine art, luxury goods, and collectibles through live auctions, online auctions, and private sales. The core offering includes traditional live auction events across global salerooms, online-only auctions with extended bidding periods (14-21 days), and Christie's Private Sales for discreet transactions. Christie's organizes themed auction series including Classic Week (Old Masters, rare books, antiquities), Post-War to Present (contemporary art), and The Exceptional Sale (museum-quality works). Additional services include complimentary auction estimates, curated selling exhibitions, and Christie's International Real Estate. The company conducts over 70 art and luxury categories spanning paintings, jewelry, watches, handbags, wine, furniture, and collectibles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Auctions Live auction events conducted in Christie's global salerooms (London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Geneva, Dubai) with real-time in-room and streamed bidding via Christie's Live.
• Christie's Online Auctions Online-only auctions spanning 70+ fine art and luxury categories with extended 14–21 day bidding periods, accessible worldwide via web and mobile.
• Christie's Private Sales Private treaty brokerage service enabling discreet purchase and sale of fine art and luxury objects outside the auction room through Christie's global specialist network.
• Auction Estimate Service Complimentary auction estimate service in which specialists review submitted items and provide valuation recommendations for potential consignment.
• Selling Exhibitions Curated themed selling exhibitions staged throughout the year in Christie's salerooms globally, offering authenticated works for immediate purchase outside the auction calendar.
• Classic Week London Annual London auction series spanning art from antiquity to the 21st century across seven sales covering Old Masters, rare books, prints, and antiquities.
• Post-War to Present Premier auction series for post-war and contemporary art, covering celebrated figures and movements of the 20th and 21st centuries.
• The Exceptional Sale Exceptional sale of museum-quality works, important private collections, and remarkable objects spanning prehistoric to early modern eras.
• Christie's International Real Estate International luxury real estate brokerage leveraging the Christie's brand to source, market, and transact premium properties for high-net-worth clientele.
• Ancient Wonders: Antiquities and Natural History New auction category launched in 2026 spanning Greek and Roman sculpture to dinosaurs and natural history specimens, covering antiquities and natural history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Christie's generated $6.2 billion in global sales in 2025, a 6% year-over-year increase, recovering from the 2024 market contraction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DBS Bank Hong KongminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 March 2026DBS ARTable 2026 event featured a collaborative dining experience and art exhibition in partnership with Christie's Hong Kong, integrating art, gastronomy, and wealth for high-net-worth clients.
• Opera GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOpera Gallery provided the Picasso painting (Tête de Femme, 1941) for Christie's-hosted charity raffle '1 Picasso for 100 euros', raising funds for Alzheimer's research.
• DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChristie's participated in DIFC Art Nights 2026, a free cultural event in Dubai's financial district featuring galleries and Christie's alongside panel talks and live performances.
• Fondation Recherche AlzheimerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Alzheimer Research Foundation organized a charity raffle with Christie's hosting the draw at its Paris auction house, raising €12 million for Alzheimer's research.
• Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristie's London presents The Meeting Ground exhibition (July-August 2026) with KNMA, a landmark collaboration celebrating South Asian modern and contemporary art from the museum's collection. KNMA supported a collateral event at the 2026 Venice Biennale and Christie's also held a joint show with KNMA in London.
• 67 Pall MallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWynn Palace partnered with 67 Pall Mall and Christie's for retail expansion of Chinese wine awards winners, demonstrating wine industry collaboration.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sotheby's: Sotheby's is Christie's closest direct competitor and the only other true global blue-chip fine art auction house. Both operate the same model (live, online, and private sales across 70+ luxury categories), and in 2025 Sotheby's led the duopoly with $7B in sales vs Christie's $6.2B.
• Phillips: Phillips is a global auction house competing directly with Christie's in contemporary art, watches, jewelry, and design. It is the third major international auction house and is gaining share in the 20th-century and contemporary segments where Christie's is heavily exposed.
• Bonhams: Bonhams is a UK-headquartered global auction house directly comparable to Christie's across fine art, luxury, collectibles, and motor cars. While smaller in scale, it competes head-to-head in London and New York salerooms and in private sales advisory.
• Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is the largest US-based auction house, with leading positions in Americana, coins, comics, sports memorabilia, and fine art. It competes with Christie's in collectibles, luxury, and online-only auctions, particularly for US-based consignors.
• Barrett-Jackson: Barrett-Jackson is the leading US collector car auction company, and is now directly comparable to Christie's following the 2024 acquisition of Gooding & Company. It competes in the same vehicle auction space under Christie's Gooding brand.

Regional players

• Dorotheum: Founded in 1707, Dorotheum is the world's oldest operating auction house and Central Europe's leading fine art and luxury auctioneer based in Vienna. It is comparable in model and category mix to Christie's but operates primarily across the DACH region and does not directly compete in the US or Asia.

Emerging players

• Saffronart: Saffronart is one of the largest online auction platforms for fine art and luxury, with a strong focus on South Asian and modern Indian art. It is comparable to Christie's online auction business model and competes in the same collector base for the Indian contemporary segment.
• Artnet: Artnet operates a global online art marketplace, auction aggregator, and price database. It overlaps with Christie's in online art discovery and secondary market data, and is a partial competitor for lower- and mid-tier online transactions.
• 1stDibs: 1stDibs is a leading online marketplace for luxury furniture, art, jewelry, and fashion. It is a partial competitor to Christie's online and private sales channels, particularly for entry-to-mid UHNW buyers seeking authenticated luxury goods with provenance.

Others

• Sotheby's Institute of Art: Sotheby's Institute of Art is the educational arm of the Sotheby's brand. While not a direct commercial competitor to Christie's, it is thematically related as part of the broader fine art ecosystem that supports auction house brand building, specialist training, and collector development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChristiesInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/Christies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments7 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christie's