Mark Knopfler's Guitar Auction Raises Record-Breaking £8 Million

Proceeds to Benefit Multiple Charities, Including the Teenage Cancer Trust and The British Red Cross

Mark Knopfler, frontman of Dire Straits, auctioned off over 120 of his guitars and amps, raising more than £8 million.
The auction included Knopfler's 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard, which sold for £693,000, setting a new world auction record for the model.
Other notable items included the 1988 Pensa-Suhr MK-1, played at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday tribute concert, and the Red Schecter Telecaster, used to record the hit song 'Walk Of Life'.
25% of the total proceeds will be divided equally between The British Red Cross, Tusk, and Brave Hearts of the North East, while the Teenage Cancer Trust will receive all of the £403,200 raised from Knopfler’s 2021 Gibson Les Paul “gold top” guitar.
The auction attracted bidders and buyers from 61 countries, with a final total including buyer's premium confirmed at £8,840,160.