Masterworks

Masterworks was founded in 2017 by Scott Lynn, an art collector and serial entrepreneur, with the specific goal of democratizing access to blue-chip contemporary art — the same Warhols, Basquiats, Banksys, and Picassos that have been held almost exclusively by museums, institutions, and the ultra-wealthy for decades. The company acquires individual artworks at auction or through private sales, files an SEC-qualified offering for each, and sells shares to investors at a price that reflects the underlying acquisition cost plus structural fees. As of early 2026, Masterworks has facilitated over $1.1 billion in combined art purchases across 400+ artworks and built a registered investor base of more than 1 million users — making it the largest art-investing platform by a wide margin.

The platform's core offering is fractional ownership: instead of buying a $20 million Basquiat, investors can buy shares in that specific painting for as little as $20 per share. Masterworks holds each artwork in a dedicated LLC (typically for 3–10 years), and shareholders receive pro-rata distribution when the work is sold on the secondary market or at auction. The company also operates a limited secondary market where investors can list their shares before the artwork sells — though liquidity is inconsistent and dependent on buyer interest. Masterworks has completed 23 realized exits as of 2024, delivering an annualized net return of approximately 14.6% across those sales. Notably, the company has also held several artworks for longer than originally anticipated, and some active investments remain unsold past their initial 3–5 year target window.