ARTnews Top 200 Collectors Releases 36th Annual List

Despite so many masterpieces, there are few truly cinematic moments in the life of an arts journalist. But I experienced one this past April when I was in Saudi Arabia for the first Riyadh Art Week. While chatting with someone who works closely with a collection entity associated with a local government agency, I asked them how they would describe their role. The man replies, “I am everyone but no one.” Superhero movie fans will recognize this as one of Sam Raimi’s final lines Dark One;Close followers of the Saudi art scene will agree that this is an apt description of what is happening with the many collections related to Vision 2030: in the background, surprisingly, there will be
In the form of a well-stocked museum.

Melissa Gronlund captures this issue expertly in her feature article on the Gulf, noting that “the prevailing view is that the Saudi government must establish all elements of the ecosystem before it can support an independent market, and the current priority is museums and non-commercial projects.” But she also paints a picture of the broader Gulf scene, which is opening up and providing opportunities for private collectors and foundations. Clearly, the international art world is paying attention: Gronlund was already writing this article when news broke that Art Basel would be hosting an art fair in Qatar in February 2026.

Gronlund also noted that “the Saudi market seems hard for anyone to ignore, especially given the current softness in Europe and the United States.” This softening has not gone unnoticed by collectors of the 36th annual magazine. art news A list of the top 200 collectors; as seasoned players in the art ecosystem, some of them have some criticism to share. “I have observed a cooling of the art market,” Kristen Sveas tells us, “and it has surprised me for some time now that blue-chip galleries have been eager to raise prices for their latest artists. Sustainability and building artists’ careers seem to be less of a concern for many galleries over time, so the cooling of the art market may be not only a result of global economic turmoil, but also a reaction to this ‘over-commercialization’ strategy.”

I believe the art world and the art market are at an inflection point. This period won’t be easy—several prominent galleries have closed this year—but it will be fascinating to witness.

feature

this art news Top 200 Collector
by editor art news

Introduction: What is the future of collecting?
Our top 200 collectors responded to our annual questionnaire.
Author: Maximiliano Duron

What the world’s top collectors bought in 2025
View the assets acquired by the top 200 companies in the past 12 months.
Author: Maximiliano Duron

give it up
Take a look at this year’s major gifts from top collectors to institutions around the world.
by Francesca Atton

The country is us
Fashion moguls François Pinault and Bernard Arnault dominate the Paris art scene, both owning private museums. Are they as competitive in the arts as they are in business?
by Devorah Lauter

Focus: Art Insurance
Lessons from the Los Angeles fires.
Authors: Francesca Atton and Karen K. Ho

145 top professionals in the art world
Take a look at America’s leaders in 12 categories.

Building bridges across the bay
With Sotheby’s in Saudi Arabia, the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, and Art Basel coming to Qatar—not to mention a host of local initiatives—the Gulf art world is flexing its global reach.
by Melissa Gronlund

open circle
In Dubai, Nadine Khoury’s circle of young collectors is bringing new perspectives to the art market.
by Tessa Solomon

department

best practices
Cynthia Hawkins makes her own rules through abstraction, challenging the strict logic of the grid.
Author: Alex Greenberg

books
Charlotte Schreiber, one of Britain’s most important ceramic collectors of the 19th century, anticipated the multiple roles of today’s art world figures.
Author: Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth

point of view
One collector has suggested some remedies for the current market downturn.
by Jeff Magid

this art news conform to
Sorana Cutman in conversation with Chris Sharp.
by Andy Battaglia

case study
Can the Aspen Art Museum, built by and for collectors in one of the wealthiest parts of the country, completely escape the forces that created it?
Daniel Cassady

open day
The V. Joy Simmons collection includes many black artists and artists of color.
Author: Maximiliano Duron

Collector’s Diary
A Top 200 collector’s personal reflections on a pilgrimage to Italy.
Author: Jon Landau

opinion
A letter from Washington, D.C., finds the capital’s arts institutions united in their cause at a moment under attack by the current presidential administration.
Author: Greg Allen