David Gilmour auctioned guitars for $21.5m, donated proceeds to climate causes
Musician David Gilmour auctioned over 120 of his personal guitars in 2019, raising over $21 million for climate change charities. The sale included iconic instruments like 'The Black Strat' and set records for musical instrument auctions.
Why it matters
The event demonstrates how high-profile cultural figures can leverage their personal assets to fund significant environmental and social causes.
For David Gilmour, guitars were never just instruments. They helped create some of Pink Floyd’s most recognisable music, shaping solos heard on albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Yet in 2019, the guitarist decided to part with more than 120 pieces from his personal collection, sending them to auction at Christie’s in New York. The sale brought in $21,490,750, and Gilmour donated the proceeds to ClientEarth, an environmental law charity working to tackle climate change and protect nature. Christie’s described the event as the most valuable musical instruments sale in auction history at the time. For Gilmour, the decision was not simply about finding new homes for cherished guitars.
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