1. Damien Hirst
Estimated Worth: £650 Million
Hirst raised £111 million by selling a complete exhibition of works, “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever,” breaking the record for a single-artist auction and solidified his rank in the art hierarchy by bypassing his galleries and going straight to Sotheby’s auction block. The artist also sold the work For the Love of God in 2007 – the diamond encrusted platinum skull sold for £50.9 million.