Billionaire Bill Koch’s Western Art Collection Gallops Past Estimates at Christie’s

When Christie’s announced that billionaire industrialist Bill Koch was parting with a monumental tranche of his Western art holdings, lovers of the niche braced for a stampede. The two-part sale, Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection, wasn’t just one of the most anticipated auctions in its category—it became the most successful Western art auction of all time, realizing a staggering $84.1 million with fees. Within minutes of the start of the evening sale, records began to fall. Seven lots in...