It seems they had not read the article we published exactly 22 months ago about the investigation by a well-known Spanish detective who had managed to gather the first irrefutable evidence that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, a name that many media outlets have pointed to for a long time without as concrete data as the ones this investigator collected.
LOC spoke with the well-known lawyer and private detective Francisco Marco, director of the Method 3 agency, who exclusively provided this newspaper with a detailed report that finally unmasked the popular British artist, for whom two museums dedicated to his work (although they are reproductions) were recently opened in Spain.
"This work arose from a challenge with my children, they dared me to find him," said Francisco Marco to La Otra Crónica. "I started from my office in Barcelona. I turned to my sources and sent my people to the field." Soon enough, the evidence emerged. "The first one, when I discovered the creation of a Banksy's domain, L3ANSKY.COM, in 2009 registered under the name of Robin Gunningham.
A white man with a silver tooth
Gunningham was born in Bristol on July 28, 1973. He studied at the city's cathedral school, where his former classmates remember him as a good draftsman who quickly got caught up in the spray paint trend, booming in the 80s. From the beginning, Robin created satirical works with political and pop culture themes, combining the techniques of graffiti typography, stencils, and templates. A style similar to that of Blek le Rat, the father of urban art whom Banksy himself, described by English media like The Guardian as "a white man, casually dressed with a silver tooth," has admitted to admiring.
"Gunningham disappeared from the graffiti world as he began to grow professionally. First, he called himself Robert Banks, then he ceased to exist and Banksy appeared. Gunningham has never said anything, neither denied nor confirmed if he is Banksy, he plays with misdirection," Paco Marco told this newspaper. "At first, he did not want to be identified due to the need to evade the police, as what he does is illegal, and later because that mystery made him great and today is part of his storytelling as an author. Now he simply does not want to be bothered. Proof of this is his house, super protected, full of cameras, a bunker in a small village 30 kilometers from Bristol." Francisco Marco's report includes various original works by Banksy photographed in properties directly linked to Gunningham. In particular, Flying Copper and Kate Moss, close to residences where he lived under his legal name or alias. It also provides property records, email accounts like l3anksy@gmail.com, and official documents that unequivocally connect Gunningham with Banksy's life and artistic production.
The alias David Jones and a fortune of 50 million
"During the investigation, I came across a financial structure revolving around the fictitious name of David Jones, the real name of David Bowie and an alias used by Gunningham economically to preserve his identity," the detective noted. The Banksy ecosystem is supported by various companies specialized in the "authentication, commercialization, and protection of his rights." The central entity, Pest Control Office Ltd, holds assets of 5.3 million pounds and reported revenues of 900,000 in 2023. Another key company is Picturesonwalls Ltd., a platform for selling screen prints and limited editions that generates annual revenues of 3 million pounds. Additionally, Outline Design and Services Ltd. operated as support for artistic projects and financial control, with balances exceeding a million pounds. These companies, along with others like Dismaland (the theme park he set up in Los Angeles in 2015 with 58 invited artists) and Gross Domestic Product Ltd, optimize financial management and brand protection.
"The alias David Jones was created as part of the strategy to preserve the artist's anonymity. This change was reflected in the connection of companies where it was found that Gunningham appeared as a Person with Significant Control, that is, as the ultimate shareholder of the corporate group," Francisco Marco concluded.
-Now, how much money does Banksy have? -That is difficult to know due to the private nature of his finances. In 2013, Forbes estimated that he already had a fortune exceeding 17 million euros. With the rise of his fame and the increasing value of his works, it is said that this figure has risen to 50 million. When he sells an original painting through Pest Control, the only official channel for his sales, the price is usually very high. In 2019, Devolved Parliament was resold at auction for almost 10.5 million euros, setting a record for the artist at that time. Similarly, in 2021, auctions in London broke records: Game Changer reached 19.6 million euros, and Love is in the Bin (the semi-destroyed work of the Girl with Balloon) was sold for 21.7 million euros. In just one year, his auctioned works totaled tens of millions in sales, although most of that money goes to collectors who resell, not to Banksy himself. Game Changer, furthermore, was donated by him to a hospital, and all proceeds (over 18.6 million euros) were allocated to health organizations in the UK.
Marco added in his report that another strategy of Gunningham to conceal his identity is to resort to name lending (like Samuel Newbury), allowing him to maintain indirect ownership of properties and companies while preserving his anonymity. Among the significant findings of Francisco Marco, it is worth noting the official marriage document of Gunningham in Las Vegas in 2006 with his longtime girlfriend, former left-wing political activist Joy Charlotte Millward, who, like her husband, has used aliases in public documents such as Joy Gunningham and Joy James.
With her, he has a six-year-old daughter, and despite his fortune, they live very middleclassthe music festival and the pub in their village, located in the province of Somerset, Bristol. This pub bears Banksy's mark in the decoration and is not under Gugginham's name but that of a couple of artists who could work for him. "See how loyal he is to his origins, the frontman of his house is linked to a printing press and a publishing house that engages in political advocacy."
Regarding whether Banksy works alone or not, Francisco Marco believes that he does not, that "obviously companies or other artists help in large installations, some even use his templates," but he thinks the design is one hundred percent his own. He also does not believe that the other name most heard as a possible candidate to be Banksy works with him. We are talking about Massive Attack singer Robert del Naja or cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. "They were also graffiti artists and are from the same area, but they have denied it and are not as linked to Banksy."
In any case, he does not operate entirely alone. Due to the scale of some of his works or performances, he needs assistance. "The team that has managed Banksy's career has been diverse and has evolved. Initially, the figure of photographer Steve Lazarides played a fundamental role as his first agent and distributor, promoting his early exhibitions and establishing his presence in the world of urban art, although they distanced themselves. Subsequently, Simon Durban consolidated as the key accountant and administrator, coordinating financial management and structuring companies linked to Banksy. In parallel, Holly Jane Cushing performed essential operational functions, ensuring the proper administration of the various entities managing the authenticity of the artist's work. However, one who has always remained is Mark Howard Stephens, the lawyer who has defended and managed the artist's copyright and legal protection." All individuals working with Banksy sign confidentiality agreements.