Millon Auction Group

What Millon Auction Group does

Millon Auction Group (legal entity Société Millon, RCS Paris 442 936 092) is a privately-held French auction house founded in 1928 and headquartered at 19 rue Grange Batelière in Paris. The firm conducts sales of art, antiques, decorative arts, jewelry, watches, wine, books and collectibles across 35 specialty departments staffed by 17 commissaires-priseur and 35 experts. It operates physical auction rooms in Paris (Drouot and Salons du Trocadéro), Nice, Brussels, Milan (via Il Ponte), Hanoi (Millon Vietnam) and Marseille (Millon Marseille Provence), supported by 25 free-estimation offices in France and internationally and 700+ annual expert valuation days that serve as a lead-generation channel for new consignments.

The core product is the Plateforme MILLON online auction system, built on a Drupal CMS with PCI-DSS certified payment processing via Ingenico, that supports online-only sales, telephone bidding, automatic (proxy) bidding, purchase orders, security deposits, and free online valuation requests answered within 48 hours. Millon extends its bidder reach through mutual integrations with three external auction aggregators (Interencheres, Drouot and Invaluable), each of which adds a 1.5%-3% buyer surcharge, and ships purchased lots via a partnership with The Packengers and its own Le 116 warehouse in Neuilly-sur-Marne.

Revenue is generated primarily through buyer's commissions (27% HT on hammer price up to €500,000 and 22% HT above that threshold, with 5.5% VAT), digital platform surcharges, post-sale storage fees (€5-10 HT per lot per week after a 30-day free period), export documentation services, and logistics coordination. Customers are fragmented across private collectors and estates (primary), museums and cultural institutions, and professional art dealers. The company is family-controlled with Alexandre Millon serving as Director of Publication, has no external investors or parent company, and recently expanded via the April 2026 acquisition of Pierre Bergé & Associés.

Name

Millon Auction Group

Legal name

Société Millon

Website

https://www.millon.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Millon Auction Group is a privately-held French auction house founded in 1928 that sells art, antiques, jewelry, watches and collectibles through physical auction rooms and an online platform across France, Belgium, Italy and Vietnam, serving private collectors, estates, museums and art dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art & Collectibles Auction Services

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Auction & Primary Issuance Platforms (IPO/Follow-on/Bond Auctions) (FSAFANAI), Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services (CRAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Art auction services
• Antique valuation services
• Jewelry auctions
• Online auction platform
• Estate liquidation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission (Commission d'Adjudication): Primary revenue stream from auction commissions charged to buyers. Commission is calculated as a declining percentage of hammer price: 27% HT up to €500,000, then 22% HT above €500,000. VAT at 5.5% applies on top of hammer price and commission.
2. Digital Platform Surcharges: Additional fees for online bidding through partner platforms: 3% HT for Interencheres.com, 1.5% HT for Drouot.com, 3% HT for Invaluable.com
3. Storage and Logistics Services: Paid storage services at their Neuilly-sur-Marne warehouse after 30-day free period. Fees range from €5-10 HT per lot per week depending on volume. Additional fees for transfers between locations.
4. Export Documentation Services: Administrative services for export permits and cultural property certificates for international buyers, charged as a service fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Millon Auction Group is a Parisian auction house founded in 1928 that conducts live and online sales of art, antiques, jewelry, watches, wines, and collectibles across 35 specialty departments. The company provides free expert valuation services (with 48-hour online response time), brokerage of consignments through auction, secure payment processing, storage at its Neuilly-sur-Marne warehouse, and international shipping coordination. It serves private collectors, estates, museums, and art dealers through physical auction rooms and integrated online bidding channels.

Product overview

Millon Auction Group is a French auction house established in 1928 operating across Paris, Nice, Brussels, Hanoi, Marseille, and Milan. The company's product portfolio centers on its Plateforme MILLON online auction platform, which enables remote participation in auctions, automatic and telephone bidding, and online payment processing. Supporting this core platform is a suite of services including free online valuation (Estimation en Ligne) with 48-hour response times, comprehensive auction catalog access, buy order management (Ordre d'Achat), and security deposit handling (Dépôt de Garantie). Millon also offers shipping and logistics coordination through its logistics service and partner network. The company operates across 35 art specialties spanning modern and contemporary art, decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, wine, books, collectibles, archaeology, and pre-Columbian art, conducting auctions from physical venues including Hôtel Drouot, Salle V.V., and Salons du Trocadéro in Paris.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plateforme MILLON (Online Auction Platform) Proprietary online auction system allowing users to participate remotely in live auctions, deposit buy orders, and manage auction activities including payment and order tracking; integrates with phone bidding and security deposit features.
• Estimation en Ligne (Free Online Valuation Service) Free online service allowing users to submit photographs and details of art, antiques, jewelry and collectibles for expert assessment, receiving a written estimate within 48 hours.
• Catalogue des Ventes (Auction Catalog and Calendar) Online catalog and calendar system providing access to Millon's full auction schedule with conditions of sale, lot descriptions, expert authentication reports, and sale results across 35 specialty departments.
• Paiement en Ligne (Online Auction Payment) Secure online payment service for auction purchases, allowing buyers to settle hammer price and commission through personal accounts or dedicated payment forms, routed via PCI-DSS certified banking infrastructure (Ingenico/Neuflize OBC).
• Dépôt de Garantie (Security Deposit) Security deposit mechanism for buyers to pre-fund a bidding account, used as a guarantee for participation in high-value auctions; deposits are returned if the user is not the winning bidder.
• Livraison et Logistique (Auction Shipping and Logistics) Auction logistics service offering delivery of purchased lots within 40km of Paris and coordination of international shipping via partnership with ThePackengers, including customs and handling of fragile or high-value items.
• Storage Services at Le 116 (Neuilly-sur-Marne) Warehousing and storage service at Millon's Le 116 facility in Neuilly-sur-Marne, free for the first 30 days after sale, then billed at €5–10 HT per lot per week depending on volume, with additional fees for transfers between locations.
• Export Documentation and Cultural Property Certificates Administrative service assisting buyers with export permits and cultural property certificates for international buyers shipping artworks and collectibles across borders, charged as a service fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 auctioneers and 35 experts across 35 specialties serving European market

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• THE PACKENGERSminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPreferred logistics partner for shipping artworks internationally outside the Paris region. Recommended carrier for buyers requiring transportation of purchased lots.
• Interencheres.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationLive auction streaming platform partnership allowing Millon auctions to reach millions of registered bidders globally. Additional 3% buyer premium applies.
• Drouot.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationFrench auction aggregator platform providing access to Drouot's buyer network. Additional 1.5% buyer premium surcharge.
• Invaluable.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational auction database and live bidding platform connecting Millon with global collectors. Additional 3% buyer premium applies.
• IngenicocoreTechnology or IntegrationPCI-DSS certified payment processor handling credit card transactions, deposit verification, and secure payment processing for auction transactions.
• Il Ponte (Milan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMillon's partner auction house in Milan, Italy for joint auctions and cross-border art market activities, particularly in philately and Islamic/Indian art.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bonhams: International auction house with comparable specialty breadth (art, jewelry, watches, collectibles); competes with Millon for mid- to high-end European consignments.
• Phillips (auction house): Global auction house focused on contemporary art, watches, and jewelry; competes with Millon's horlogerie and art moderne departments for premium lots.
• Sotheby's: World's largest art auction house, with a deep French presence; directly comparable to Millon in fine art, decorative arts, jewelry, and watches, but at significantly larger scale.
• Christie's: Global auction incumbent offering art, luxury, and collectibles sales across all major categories Millon operates in; competes primarily for top-end consignments and international collectors.

Direct peers

• Artcurial: Paris-based French auction house conducting sales of art, jewelry, watches, and collectibles; the most direct head-to-head competitor for Millon across multiple specialty departments and at the same auction venues (Drouot).
• Aguttes: Independent French auction house with similar specialty breadth across art, jewelry, watches, and collectibles, and a comparable mid-size footprint — a close like-for-like competitor.
• Cornette de Saint-Cyr: Paris-based auction house covering modern art, contemporary art, and luxury collectibles; competes with Millon in the same Paris auction ecosystem.
• Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés: French auction house specializing in old-master paintings, furniture, and collectibles; competes with Millon for traditional French estate consignments.
• Pierre Bergé & Associés: Prestigious Parisian auction house specializing in art and luxury collectibles; acquired by Millon in April 2026 but historically a direct French-market competitor with overlapping specialty focus.

Others

• Hôtel Drouot: Paris's central auction venue and aggregator where Millon (and most French auction houses) host physical sales; not a direct competitor but a critical ecosystem participant and partner through Millon's Drouot.com integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MILLON_Auctions
• Facebookfacebook.com/millon.svv
• Instagraminstagram.com/millon_auction

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Millon Auction Group