The Short Version
Christo and Jeanne-Claude's self-funding model is one of the most consistently documented principles in contemporary art history. Over a dozen independent sources — including the artists' official site, Harvard Gazette, and art law publications — confirm they financed all large-scale installations through sales of preparatory drawings, prints, and models, and refused sponsorships, grants, and public funding. No credible counterexample of an accepted outside payment for any installation has been identified. The post-2020 foundation's grantmaking to other organizations is unrelated to the artists' own funding practices.