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yesterday

Jim Sanborn Auctions Kryptos’s Final Unsolved Code

He estimates proceeds of $300,000–$500,000 to support disability programs.

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Art made of code named Kryptos on display at the C.I.A. Headquarters in Virginia.
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Overview

  • The auction lot features Sanborn’s original handwritten 97-character K4 plaintext, a copper maquette and archival materials documenting the sculpture’s creation.
  • RR Auction will manage the online bidding from October 17 to November 20, 2025.
  • Sanborn has not notified the CIA of the sale and hopes the buyer will safeguard the text rather than immediately disclose it.
  • He warns that possessing the K4 plaintext may not conclude Kryptos’s mystery because the message is thought to instruct a further “K5” layer.
  • The artist cites his age, financial concerns and fatigue from handling thousands of solver inquiries—including $50 fees for replies and AI-driven guesses—as key drivers of the decision.