French telecom billionaire Patrick Drahi weighs taking Sotheby's public

French telecom billionaire Patrick Drahi is weighing an initial public offering of Sotheby’s, a little over two years after he bought the storied auction house, people with knowledge of the matter said. 

Drahi has held preliminary discussions with potential advisers about a US listing of Sotheby’s as soon as next year, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. 

Sotheby’s, with a nearly 300-year history, is one of the world’s biggest auction houses dealing in fine art, collectibles and real estate. It’s seen strong online sales during the pandemic and has been moving into digital offerings