The Mystery of Kryptos: Auctioning Secrets of a 30-Year-Old CIA Sculpture

Thu Nov 13 2025 13:20:08 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Jim Sanborn is selling the solution to the final cipher of his iconic sculpture, Kryptos, which has baffled code-breakers for decades. The auction runs until November 20, with significant interest surrounding the enigmatic art piece.

Sanborn's 10-foot sculpture at CIA headquarters, known as Kryptos, features four encrypted messages. While the first three have been deciphered, the fourth remains a mystery. Auctioning the solution to K4, Sanborn hopes to find a new keeper for Kryptos secrets, with bids starting at over $200,000. The auction follows recent controversies regarding the text's historical context and its connection to the art piece.

BOSTON (PulseWire) — When Jim Sanborn was commissioned to create a sculpture at CIA headquarters, he conceptualized something that could embody the intrigue of espionage and cryptography.

The result was Kryptos, a 10-foot tall sculpture featuring a complex interplay of codes and meanings. One side appears as a piece of paper with staggered alphabets, while the other holds four encrypted messages. At that time, codes and encoding felt very esoteric, Sanborn explained. I wanted to make it more engaging and fun for people.

This artistic endeavor has led to decades-long fascination, particularly with the final cipher, known as K4. Although the first three were deciphered soon after the sculpture’s dedication in 1990, K4 remains an unsolved puzzle, captivating amateur and professional cryptographers alike. Notably, Sanborn has received inquiries from dedicated fans, some contacting him for 20 years. Their persistence led him to charge a $50 fee for each submission regarding K4's interpretation.

Now, at age 79 and after several health issues, Sanborn is auctioning the solution to K4. The auction, organized by RR Auction, runs until November 20 and has already attracted attention with bids exceeding $201,000. Sanborn hopes the auction will introduce a new keeper for the secrets of Kryptos.

Since its installation, Kryptos has emerged as a global phenomenon, stated Bobby Livingston, executive VP at RR Auction. K4 has perplexed many people and this archive holds the key that has eluded both professionals and hobbyists. The winner will possess the secrets of Kryptos.

The auction not only features the solution to K4 but also original coding charts for the first three messages and an alternate paragraph dubbed K5. Sanborn had submitted the original scrambled texts to the CIA's Department of Historical Intelligence to confirm there were no hidden messages within the sculpture’s text.

The auction adds a twist to the narrative: In September, scholars discovered original writings related to K4 at the Smithsonian Archives, causing Sanborn to reconsider the auction and ultimately affirm its continuation while acknowledging the peculiar recent findings.

Despite the excitement surrounding K4, many Kryptos fans hope to keep the mystery alive. Elonka Dunin, moderator of a large Kryptos enthusiasts group, noted a universal wish for anonymity regarding K4’s resolution. The secrets deserve lingering exploration and unanswered questions, she stated.