ARTnews has just published its 2013 list of the top 200 collectors, displaying the art world's biggest spenders.
 Alice Walton now joins the likes of businessman Leon Black, who purchased Edvard Munch's The Scream for $119.9m in May 2012 |
The list is hit by a wave of 17 new collectors this year, including hedge fund managers Alan Howard and Daniel Och, Brazilian investment banker Jose Olympio Pereira and his wife, Andrea, as well as Toronto real estate investor Hank Latner.
The latest additions to the list show an increase in interest from investors, who are increasingly turning to art and collectibles for portfolio diversity as traditional assets continue to offer uncertainty.
Three of the five collectors from China are new to the list, with Beijing car dealer Yang Bin, publisher Thomas Chao and Shanghai nightclub owner Takeo Obayashi all making an appearance.
This reflects the continued strength of Chinese buyers, with the country now serving as the world's largest art market.
The list's top 10 has also welcomed a new name - Walmart heiress Alice Walton - who now sits alongside big boys such as Leon Black, owner of The Scream, and Christie's owner Francois Pinault, who recently returned two looted bronze fountainheads to China.
Walton has recently opened her own Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas.
In total, half of the top 200 collectors make their primary home in the US, while 19 reside in Germany, 12 in Switzerland, 10 in the UK, eight in France and five each in Canada and Belgium.
Find out more about the potential returns that are attracting investors to the collectibles industry.
