London, November 20, 2025
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has confirmed the purchase of a $12.1 million solid 18-karat gold toilet, an artwork created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The acquisition, announced in November 2025, includes a second edition of the piece titled America, which will be displayed publicly at Ripley’s venues.
The golden toilet, valued both for its artistic significance and material worth, was sold at auction as a replacement for the original stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. Ripley’s aims to provide the public a chance to engage with what has been described as “the world’s most extravagant restroom fixture.”
Constructed entirely of solid 18-karat gold, the artwork is estimated to have a melt value of nearly $10 million purely for its raw materials, underscoring the intersection of luxury and artistic expression. The purchase price of $12.1 million also reflects its cultural notoriety and the story behind its theft.
Maurizio Cattelan’s America first garnered attention through installations in prominent institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum. The piece later gained global media coverage when the original was stolen in a high-profile heist from England’s Blenheim Palace, where it was never recovered. This event amplified the artwork’s mythology and value as a symbol of excess, wealth, and art-world spectacle.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, known for curating collections of unusual and record-breaking artifacts, views this acquisition as fitting within their collection’s theme. By exhibiting the golden toilet, Ripley’s aims to maintain the piece’s status as a cultural talking point and tourist attraction, bridging art and popular fascination.
Beyond the physical asset, the transaction highlights ongoing discussions about how value is assigned to contemporary art, particularly pieces that challenge traditional aesthetics and provoke debate. The purchase also raises questions about the role of museums, private collectors, and institutions like Ripley’s in preserving and presenting such provocative works to the public.
With this acquisition, Ripley’s continues to underscore its niche in showcasing the bizarre and extraordinary. The public display of the gold toilet will further invite discourse on the relationship between art, luxury, and societal values, ensuring that the narrative surrounding America endures.
As the piece transitions into a new chapter within Ripley’s collection, it marks a significant moment in art history where spectacle, high finance, and cultural symbolism converge under one roof for broad public engagement.