Economics Explained is somewhat of a hack when it comes to topics outside of basic supply and demand. On the internet, every struggling business and every colle

Economics Explained is somewhat of a hack when it comes to topics outside of basic supply and demand. On the internet, every struggling business and every collectible hobby is a front for money laundering. While there is certainly a lot of money laundering and tax evasion in the high art world, that's only because they can hide their transactions behind the majority of legitimate transactions. In the case of the Salvator Mundi painting, the valuation of the painting skyrocketed because allegedly the last two bidders were both Arab princes who thought the other bidder was from their mutual rival, the Qatari royal family. $450 million was the legitimate market value if the painting to the Saudi royal family.