Mysterious 'art emperor' is known: prince with the long name

new york - The New York Times has traced the secret purchaser of the most expensive painting in the world, the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci. His name? Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud. In other words, 'Prince Bader'.

The Salvator Mundi was swapped for owner of 450 million dollars (382 million euros) at the Christie's auction house in New York in mid-November. Never before has so much been paid for a painting.

According to the newspaper, a well-kept secret has come out with the name of Prince Bader, which gives a glimpse into the intrigues within the Saudi royal family. It is striking that a member buys such a Christian painting in the strictly Islamic country, and still for such a large amount- while there is chaos within the royal house now that prominent members have been arrested for corruption, the newspaper describes.

Prince Bader is a good friend of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who conducts corruption investigations.