It is reported that thieves took just five minutes to steal a golden toilet valued at £4.8 million (approximately $6.08 million). This refers to five people’s 2019 theft of the art installation “America.”
On Tuesday, the BBC reported that prosecutor Julian Christopher made a startling claim about the “America” theft in a recent trial. According to Christopher, the entire robbery took less than five minutes.
The five-member gang broke into Blenheim Palace in the UK on September 14, 2019. In a swift operation, they stole the golden toilet worth £4.8 million in just five minutes. The toilet was part of an art exhibition held at the palace then.
Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan created the golden toilet, titled “America,” as a biting satire on wealth inequality. Cattelan crafted the piece using 18-karat gold and reportedly described it as “1% art for the 99%.”
According to the BBC, the golden toilet weighs approximately 98kg. When it was first created, its value was estimated at £1 million (approximately $1.27 million). However, due to a significant surge in gold prices, its current value has skyrocketed to nearly £4.8 million.
Meanwhile, based on the evidence found on the thieves’ cell phones, including messages, voice memos, and screenshots, the prosecution revealed that the gang negotiated the sale of the stolen 20 kilograms of gold for about £25,000 (approximately $31,676) per kilogram. Reports suggest that the thieves sold the gold in small pieces.
