Billionaire energy magnate William Koch to auction 1,500 rare wine lots at Christie’s, expected to fetch $15 million. The iconic collection features Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Pétrus, Château Lafite, among many rare gems


It’s time to raise a toast to billionaire industrialist William Koch, who’s offering connoisseurs a $15 million opportunity to own one of the world’s most revered wine collections, featuring legendary vintages and more than 750 extraordinary large-format bottles. Christie’s will present one of the greatest single-owner wine collections ever to come to market, drawn from the cellars of one of America’s most prolific, and most litigious, wine collectors. Titled The Cellar of William I. Koch: The Great American Collector, this three-day auction will take place from June 12–14 at Christie’s iconic Rockefeller Center in New York. The event will feature 1,500 lots and is expected to fetch $15 million in what is being called a “once-in-a-generation” sale.


Half of this remarkable collection consists of 750 large-format bottles from legendary producers such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Pétrus, Château Mouton Rothschild, and Lafite. Among the highlights are 45 Jeroboams and Methuselahs of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti alone. The 85-year-old tycoon began collecting fine wines and art back in the 1960s. Once these bottles are auctioned off, he’ll have room to replenish the storied cellars in Palm Beach, Cape Cod, and Aspen, each part of a $2 billion empire built by the man himself. That’s where his passion for rare bottles has lived for decades, alongside his vast art and memorabilia collections.

Also read -  Forget a private jet; Steve Jobs’s billionaire widow once didn’t even have the money to fly coach and could only afford stamps from countries she dreamed of visiting. Now Laurene is sailing to every destination in that stamp book aboard her $120-million superyacht, Venus

1500 lots are going under the hammer

“I collect things that celebrate the love of my family and friends and remind me of significant and special times in our lives,” Koch shared. “My hope is that at this wine sale you will find something that speaks to your passion and that you are able to share it with the people you love.” The thrice-married billionaire, who is one-half of a twin, is also known for his fascination with maritime memorabilia, including model ships, antique nautical instruments, and paintings of ships and seascapes.

Tags from the story
,