Steven A. Cohen Confirmed as Consignor of Cattelan’s America
The consignor behind one of the most talked-about auction lots of the season has been revealed. Billionaire art collector Steven A. Cohen is the current owner of Maurizio Cattelan’s 18-karat gold toilet America (2016). The announcement broke this morning on Artnet News, with the sculpture scheduled to appear at Sotheby’s on November 18 as part of their “The Now and Contemporary” sale.
Purchased from Marian Goodman Gallery in 2017, Cohen’s America weighs over 100 kilograms. The starting bid is expected to reflect the work’s weight in gold, estimated around $10 million. While Sotheby’s declined to comment on Cohen’s involvement, the auction house confirmed that no irrevocable bid has been placed.
Exhibition Details Before the Auction
Before heading to the block, America will be installed in a bathroom at Sotheby’s new Breuer Building headquarters. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the piece individually beginning Saturday. Although the work is fully functional, it will be strictly out of order during this exhibition.
America is part of an edition of three plus two artist proofs, though only two were fabricated in 2016. One version was first displayed at the Guggenheim Museum, and in 2017, the museum even offered it to the Trump White House as a loan instead of a van Gogh painting. The Guggenheim’s version was later loaned to Blenheim Palace in England, where it was stolen in 2019. Cohen’s piece is now the only extant version.
Steven A. Cohen: Billionaire Collector and Art Patron
Cohen is chairman and CEO of Point72 Asset Management, which he founded. He and his wife Alexandra have spent over $1 billion assembling one of the world’s most important private art collections. Their holdings include works by blue-chip artists such as Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, Jackson Pollock, and Damien Hirst.
According to Forbes, Cohen’s net worth is estimated at $23 billion as of November 7, highlighting his capacity to make headline-grabbing acquisitions like America. In 2015, he also purchased Alberto Giacometti’s L’Homme au doigt (1947) for $141.3 million, making it the most expensive sculpture ever sold at auction.
The Cohens are also known for their philanthropy, contributing millions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and MoMA, where they donated $50 million in 2017 toward its expansion.
Maurizio Cattelan: Controversial Conceptual Artist
Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan has a history of shocking the art world. His banana duct-taped to a wall, Comedian (2019), famously sold for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s, later eaten in a public stunt by buyer Justin Sun. America continues Cattelan’s legacy of provocative, high-value conceptual works that challenge the boundaries of contemporary art.
Why This Auction is Historic
Cohen’s sale of America is notable for several reasons:
- It represents the only extant version of the 2016 golden toilet.
- Its exhibition prior to auction offers the public a rare viewing of a high-profile contemporary artwork.
- The expected starting bid of $10 million underscores both its material and cultural value.
- The sale reinforces Cohen’s position as a major force in the global art market.
Maurizio Cattelan’s America is poised to be one of the most talked-about contemporary art sales of 2025. Owned by billionaire Steven A. Cohen, this provocative golden toilet combines artistic significance, rarity, and high market value. With a pre-auction exhibition and a starting bid expected around $10 million, collectors and art enthusiasts alike will be watching closely when the hammer falls on November 18 at Sotheby’s.
