The homoleptic compound [PPh₄][CF₃AuCF₃] cleanly undergoes photoinduced oxidative addition of CF₃I to afford the organogold(III) derivative [PPh₄][(CF₃)₃AuI] in good yield and under mild conditions. This compound provides a convenient entry to the chemistry of the perfluorinated (CF₃)₃Au fragment whose properties are analyzed with the aid of DFT methods and compared with those of the homologous non-fluorinated (CH₃)₃Au moiety. It is found that reductive elimination of CX₃-CX₃ in the former (X = F) requires a much higher energy barrier than in the latter (X = H) and is therefore considerably less favored. This can be considered as one of the main features underlying the significantly higher stability associated to the (CF₃)₃Au fragment and its derivatives. This unsaturated, 14-electron species can be stabilized by coordination of any of the halide ligands, including fluoride. In fact, the whole series of anionic [PPh₄][(CF₃)₃AuX] complexes (X = F, Cl, Br, I, CN) has now been isolated and conveniently characterized. Evidence for intermolecular decomposition pathways upon thermolysis in the condensed phase is presented.