Artnet News has compiled a list of the 10 top-selling living American artists at auction, with Jeff Koons leading the pack as the only artist to surpass $1 billion in auction sales. The list includes influential figures like Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Christopher Wool, Richard Prince, George Condo, and KAWS, with Johns being the oldest at 95 and Sherman the sole woman. The US art market generated $4.3 billion in 2024, outpacing China and the UK, according to Artnet’s Auction Price Database.
This ranking underscores the continued dominance of American artists in the global art market, highlighting the commercial power of both established icons and pop-culture crossover names. The data reflects broader market trends, including the concentration of high-value sales among a small group of living artists, and raises questions about gender representation and the sustainability of record-breaking prices.