The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

Why would a very smart New York investment banker pay 12 million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock's drip painting number 5 "1948" sell for $140 million? This book looks at the economics of the modern art world and the marketing strategies which power the market to produce such high prices.

If you read no other book about art in your life, read the one that's gripped me like a thriller for the past two days.' - Richard Morisson, The Times '[An] enthralling revelation-rich trip through the money game of the art market.' - Independent Why would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? The Twelve Million Dollar Stuffed Shark is the first book to look at the economics of the modern art world and the marketing strategies which power the market to produce such astronomical prices. Don Thompson talks to auction houses, dealers, and collectors to find out the source of Charles Saatchi's Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming the highest-earning artist in the world.