Names in the News : Australian Magnate Reveals He’s Mystery Buyer of Van Gogh ‘Irises’

Australian multimillionaire Alan Bond, a one-time sign painter, revealed today he was the mystery buyer who purchased Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises” for $49 million.

“It’s not just a painting,” Bond told reporters. “It’s the most important painting in the world.”

The 50-year-old magnate acquired the work at a Sotheby’s New York auction more than a year ago but waited until his luxurious penthouse office in Perth was completed before revealing it. The Van Gogh takes an honored place in the 51st-floor office, which has panoramic views over the city from which Bond has built a worldwide natural-resources, brewing, media and real-estate empire with assets of well over $10 billion.