Kenny Schachter's column reveals that Jeff Bezos secretly bought Frida Kahlo's 1941 painting *Me and My Parrot* for over $130 million in a private auction hosted by Christie's in 2021, and that Mark Zuckerberg recently purchased René Magritte's 1964 painting *Le fils de l'homme* (The Son of Man) for roughly $150 million in another private treaty sale negotiated by Christie's. The article also discusses a new private auction Christie's is organizing for a major Magritte work valued north of $50 million, and critiques the growing influence of tech billionaires—the "Magnificent 7"—on the art market.
The column matters because it exposes the secretive, high-stakes world of private art sales among the ultra-wealthy, where tech moguls like Bezos and Zuckerberg are using art as both a status symbol and a diversification hedge. It highlights a broader trend of clout-chasing and market distortion driven by a handful of billionaires, while also noting the rise of Gen Z collectors engaging through digital platforms. The revelations underscore the increasing concentration of power and capital in the art market, raising questions about transparency, influence, and the role of auction houses in facilitating these opaque transactions.