BOSTON (AP) — The key information to unravel the remaining unsolved message within the Kryptos sculpture at CIA headquarters was sold at auction for nearly $1 million, as announced by RR Auction in Boston. The successful bidder has the unique opportunity for a private meeting with 80-year-old artist Jim Sanborn to delve into the sculpture's codes and charts, fostering continued interest in his work.
The archive, which was sold to an anonymous buyer for $963,000, includes essential documents and coding charts related to Kryptos, dedicated in 1990. While three messages, labeled K1, K2 and K3, have been decrypted, the final message, K-4, has eluded the most talented cryptanalysts and enthusiasts alike for years.
Kryptos resembles a paper emerging from a fax machine, with staggered alphabets on one side integral to decoding the four encrypted messages on the reverse. Sanborn has received inquiries about K4 consistently for two decades, eventually deciding to sell the solution, emphasizing his hope that the buyer will safeguard its secrets while engaging with the decoding community.
As explained by Sanborn, “The important distinction is that they discovered it. They did not decipher it. They do not have the key. They don’t have the method with which it’s deciphered.” This auction sparks new intrigue for those captivated by the untold narratives within art and cryptography.
The archive, which was sold to an anonymous buyer for $963,000, includes essential documents and coding charts related to Kryptos, dedicated in 1990. While three messages, labeled K1, K2 and K3, have been decrypted, the final message, K-4, has eluded the most talented cryptanalysts and enthusiasts alike for years.
Kryptos resembles a paper emerging from a fax machine, with staggered alphabets on one side integral to decoding the four encrypted messages on the reverse. Sanborn has received inquiries about K4 consistently for two decades, eventually deciding to sell the solution, emphasizing his hope that the buyer will safeguard its secrets while engaging with the decoding community.
As explained by Sanborn, “The important distinction is that they discovered it. They did not decipher it. They do not have the key. They don’t have the method with which it’s deciphered.” This auction sparks new intrigue for those captivated by the untold narratives within art and cryptography.
