Larry Gagosian Net Worth: How Rich is the Art Dealer Actually?

Larry Gagosian is an American entrepreneur and art dealer. He owns the chain of art galleries, the Gagosian Gallery. Gagosian began selling posters near the University of California, Los Angeles in the late 1970s. He grew his business heavily after re-selling works of contemporary art. Larry made the winning $195 million bid for Andry Warhol’s 1964 portrait of Marilyn Monroe on May 9, 2022. Larry Gagosian net worth is estimated to be a massive $600 million as of 2023.

Early Life

Larry Gagosian was born on April 19 in the year 1945 in Los Angeles, California. He was born as the eldest child to his parents, Ara and Ann Louise. His father was a stockbroker and his mom briefly worked as an actor and singer. Gagosian studied at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He graduated from UCLA with English literature in 1969.

Larry Gagosian Net Worth & Career

At the early stage of his career, he worked in a record store and bookstore. He also worked at the William Morris Agency as Michael Ovitz’s secretary. Larry kicked start his art business by selling posters around UCLA in Los Angeles. He shifted his poster shop on Westwood’s Broxton Avenue around 1976. Later, he added the prints to his poster shop. The gallery print was ultimately named the Broxton Gallery.

At the Broxton Gallery, he showed a wide array of contemporary art. He got to work with upcoming artists like Alexis Smith, Vija Celmins, and Elyn Zimmerman. Likewise, he staged exhibitions including the art of artists Bruce Nauman and John Baldessari in the gallery. Larry earned a lucrative profit after reselling the California art made by Joyce Haber.

Larry showed young Californians in his first gallery, which he started on La Brea Avenue in 1978. He also purchased a loft in New York that same year on West Broadway just opposite the Leo Castelli Gallery. In 1979, he appeared for the first time in a New York art exhibition. There, his first exhibition was made by the painter, David Salle. Then he staged an exhibition of artist, Jean-Michael Basquiat in 1982 in Los Angeles.

Gagosian excelled in his business exponentially in the early 1980s. At that time, he used to resell artworks made by blue-chip modern and contemporary artists. In the process of growing his business, he earned the nickname, Go-Go. In the mid-1980s, he established a Manhattan gallery which is located at 521 West 23rd Street. He started working with a stable of super collectors, and later he began bidding on behalf of Newhouse in 1989.

Gagosian paid more than $17 million for Jasper Johns’ False Start in 1988. The bidding price was a record for a living artist at that time. However, the record was broken later in 2008 when he paid $23.5 million for Jeff Koons’ Hanging Heart in November 2007. Gagosian purchased the Toad Hall estate in Amagansett along with the 11000 square foot house. The Toad Hall estate was designed in 1983 by Charles Gwathney. Altogether, Gagosian paid $8 million for the estate and house.

Gagosian purchased the 5700 square foot Holmby Hills compound in 2010. He purchased the Holmby Hills compound for $15.5 million. Then in 2011, he paid $36.5 million for an enormous townhouse, the former Harkness Mansion. Gagosian made a record-breaking bid of $195 million to purchase Andy Warhol’s one of the four Shot Marilyns paintings on May 9. As soon as he purchased the paintings, they became the most expensive piece of 20th-century art that was sold on a public platform.

Personal Life

Larry Gagosian is reportedly dating a woman named Holly Bawden. As per sources, his alleged girlfriend, Holly was his assistant in the past. She worked as a personal assistant for Larry at the prestigious Gagosian Gallery from May 2013 to November 2015. Previously, he was dating Chrissie Erpf whom he dated for many years.

Larry Gagosian Net Worth

Larry Gagosian’s personal wealth is estimated to be around $600 million in 2023. According to different news outlets, he reportedly brokers more than $1 billion worth of art transactions in a year across the world. In addition to that, he also owns a $40 million Bombardier Global Express private jet, which he used to visit each gallery.