Nicole Lapin

If you've considered hosting but need a little help, find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host.

I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

It's time for some money right now.

Today, I'm going to ruin rich people's art game for you, but in the best way possible.

You've probably seen headlines where some painting that you've never heard of is selling for $30 million at auction.

Or maybe you've watched Succession and you've wondered why every single billionaire seems to be obsessed with contemporary art, but you never actually see any of it hanging in their home.

Some wealthy people love art for the sake of it, sure.

But here is the truth.

More often than you think, it's not about taste.

It's not about passion.

It's not even about art.

Specifically, it's about hiding, moving, and multiplying money in a way that regulators can't easily touch.

Today, I'm breaking down exactly how all of this works.

I'll walk you through the five-step playbook that ultra-wealthy collectors use to turn art into one of the most powerful financial tools in their portfolios, from tax loopholes to money laundering, and also share real-life examples of all of this in action.

But I did say we would start at the beginning, which is the purchase.

So a wealthy person walks into an auction house, say Sotheby's or Christie's and drops, let's say, five million bucks on a painting.

And here's the thing.

There is no set market price for art.

A painting is worth whatever someone else is willing to pay for it.

A