As has been noted elsewhere in this list, Abramovich made history in May when he purchased Bacon’s Triptych (1976) and Freud’s Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (1995) for too much money to mention in this small space. Of course, Roman was pretty famous already, as the owner of Chelsea Football Club. Of late he’s backed exhibitions in London and Moscow (the inaugural show of girlfriend Dasha Zhukova’s new art centre, CCC). And the couple raised temperatures in Art Basel this summer: Roman bought a Giacometti and is rumoured to be moving into contemporary art – thus the presence and meaty ranking on this list.