Philip Hoffman founded The Fine Art Group in 2001. It was the first company to launch a successful series of 8 art investment funds. Since then, Philip has developed the business into an international market leader in art investment, art finance, art sales agency, appraisals, philanthropy and art advisory . In 2018 The Group bought the Art Financing business from Falcon, in. 2021, he led The Fine Art Group on the acquisition of The leading US Art Group Pall Mall Art Advisors to add a robust advisory and appraisals service to the firm’s offering and to expand The Fine Art Group’s footprint further in the US. In 2022, The Fine Art Group set up their New York HQ and announced a partnership with Schwartzman&. In 2023, The Fine Art Group expanded into Asia with an office in Hong Kong. This expansion was facilitated through a joint venture and investment in Patti Wong & Associates, which is led by former Sotheby’s worldwide Chairman Patti Wong. Under Philip’s leadership, The Fine Art Group values and opines on some $15-20 billion of art annually, represents over 350 family offices in 28 countries, and has transacted in over $1.4 billion dollars of artworks and jewellery.
Before launching The Fine Art Group, Philip spent 12 years working for Christie’s auction house where aged 27 he was CFO and became Deputy Chief Executive Europe and joined the global Christie’s management board aged 33.
Now, with a team of art and finance experts based in London, United States, Hong Kong, Geneva, Germany and Dubai, The Fine Art Group invests in rare art for investment purposes and currently advises some of the largest art funds in the world. The Fine Art Group is also a major participant in the auction underwriting arena and has overseen the sales of multi-million-dollar art works. In 2016 The Fine Art Group launched an art lending service.
As a leading expert in art investment, Philip is regularly asked to comment on the art market by the international press, including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Thomsen Reuters, The Art Newspaper and The FiAs a leading expert in art as an asset class. Additionally, Philip is a frequent speaker at global conferences including the Milken Institute, the London Business School, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley.
Philip is on the Development Boards for The National Portrait Gallery, London, and CW+, the charity for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He is also on the Advisory Board for Christie’s Education.