Secret to Decode CIA’s Kryptos Sculpture Sells for $770,000

Artist’s Hidden Solution Resurfaces After Decades

Jim Sanborn, the American sculptor behind the infamous Kryptos installation at CIA Headquarters, finally saw the mystery he created change hands for a staggering $770,000 at a recent auction.

The four-panel bronze sculpture, unveiled in 1990, has long baffled cryptographers, intelligence officers, and hobbyists alike. While three of the panels have been solved, the fourth—known simply as “K4”—remained an unsolved enigma for more than three decades.

In a surprising turn of events, Sanborn admitted that he had once tried to “lighten his mental load” by discarding his own notes on the solution. However, during a routine inventory at the Smithsonian Institution, a sealed envelope containing the missing key was uncovered, revealing the final piece of the puzzle.

The discovery has sparked renewed interest in the artwork, prompting experts to revisit the sculpture’s intricate blend of art, espionage, and cryptography. With the solution now publicly known, scholars anticipate fresh analyses of Sanborn’s broader body of work and the hidden messages embedded within.

As the auction proceeds continue, the sale underscores the enduring allure of Kryptos—a piece that bridges the worlds of secret intelligence and contemporary art, and now, a newly unlocked chapter of its storied history.