Collections:
The most valuable single owner auction ever staged: Works from the Macklowe Collection total $676 million
The collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude: 100% sold in Paris, doubling pre-sale estimate
The legendary collection of Mrs. John L. Marion achieved more than $150 million
The collection of Dorothée Lalanne, daughter of the famous artist duo: makes $94.3 million, the highest total for any auction in France in 2021
The first part of the Karl Lagerfeld Collection was 100% sold in Monaco, making €12 million, with 1,400 bidders
Records:
Highest price ever achieved for an Old Master at Sotheby’s: $92.2 million Botticelli
Auction record for a coin: 1933 Double Eagle sells for $18.9 million
Most valuable sneakers ever sold: Kanye West 2008 ‘Grammy worn’ Nike Air Yeezy Samples make $1.8 million in a private sale
A record for a work of Latin American Art: Frida Kahlo’s masterpiece ‘Diego y yo’ sells for $34.9 million
Banksy’s ‘Love is in the Bin’: painting triples high estimate to bring record $25.4 million - three years after the painting famously shredded in Sotheby’s London auction room
Most valuable historical document ever sold: a rare printing of the US Constitution sells for $43.2 million
101 Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs sold together for $24.4 million, setting a new auction record for a single lot sold online at Sotheby’s
The highest price ever achieved for a pair of sneakers at auction – Michael Jordan Regular Game Worn Nike Air Ships sold for $1.5 million
The Hamilton Aphrodite sells for $24.6 million, setting a new record for any ancient marble at auction
A Patek Philippe ‘Pink on Pink’ Reference 1518 soared to $9.6 million - a new auction record for any wristwatch ever sold at Sotheby’s, and a record for any watch sold at auction this year 
Firsts:
Sotheby’s stages its first US marquee evening sale outside New York: White glove sale of 11 Picassos from the MGM Resorts Fine Art Collection offered at the Bellagio in Las Vegas sell for $109 million
Sotheby’s first NFT sale, in collaboration with PAK makes $16.8 million with 3000 buyers across the open edition and one-of-one auctions
The first digital artefact offered at Sotheby’s: The source code for the worldwide web sells as an NFT for $5.3 million
Sotheby’s became the first auction house to open its own platform dedicated to NFTs, with the launch of Sotheby’s Metaverse in October
The first selling exhibition dedicated to black jewellery designers: Brilliant and Black
Sotheby’s first auction in Cologne, took place in September
In September, Sotheby’s became the first auction house to loan jewellery for Met Gala
Sotheby’s first Contemporary Curated auction in Asia, launches with the “King of Mandopop”, Jay Chou, as curator.
First time cryptocurrency is accepted on a physical work of art, and first time a Sotheby’s auctioneer accepted bids live in Ether (ETH) cryptocurrency
First auction house to create AR technology lens with Snapchat for the Christo Wrapping
Currently underway in Hong Kong, is Sotheby’s first ever tea auction, featuring some of the finest examples of premium Puerh from the past century.

This year Sotheby’s raised approximately $120 million for non-profit organizations by hosting auctions on behalf of charities and institutions, and through direct donations to art education programs and other charitable initiatives.