New York | Just when it seemed the high-flying art market couldn’t soar any higher, paintings and sculpture from the collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen hit the $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) mark at Christie’s New York on Wednesday night (Thursday AEDT), making it the biggest sale in auction history.

The first of two Allen sales, it shattered a six-month-old record of $US922 million set at Sotheby’s for art from Harry and Linda Macklowe, squabbling spouses whose divorce settlement included the sale of their collection.