Alexander Gilkes

Alexander Mark Heming Gilkes (born July 1979)[1] is a British businessman.[4] He is the co-founder of venture studio Squared Circles, which launched in 2020. He was previously the co-founder and president of online auction house Paddle8 from 2011 to 2018, when it was sold to The Native.[5][6][7][8]

Alexander Gilkes
Born
Alexander Mark Heming Gilkes[1]

July 1979 (age 44)
Camden, London, England
EducationEton College
University of Bristol
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2012; div. 2017)​
PartnerMaria Sharapova (2018–present)[2] (engaged in December 2020)[3]
Children1 son

Early life

Gilkes is the son of Jeremy Gilkes, a dermatologist, and was born and raised in London.[9][10] He was educated at Eton College and at the University of Bristol.[9]

Career

Gilkes has been based in New York since 2008.[9] He served as an auctioneer at Phillips de Pury & Company and worked at LVMH. Gilkes presided as an auctioneer for auctions including Madonna's Raising Malawi,[11] Elton John AIDS Foundation,[12] and amFAR.[13]

In 2011, he founded Paddle8, an online auction website selling fine art, photography, street art and collectibles. In 2013, the company did $US20 million in sales.[14] By 2015, the company reported "$US140 million" in sales.[15] Paddle8 was sold in 2015 to The Native.[16][17] Gilkes stepped down from his role at Paddle8 in 2018.

In 2020, Gilkes co-founded venture studio Squared Circles along with Lukas Derksen and Paddle8 co-founder Osman Khan.[18]

Gilkes "has been named" as one of Fast Company's Most Creative Entrepreneurs in 2017,[19] the 100 Most Powerful People in the Art World (Art + Auction) in 2014, 2015 and 2016, a Digital Maverick (DETAILS), one of the 40 Most Important People Under 40 (Apollo) and appeared on Vanity Fair and GQ's best-dressed lists.[20] He serves on the board of the New York Academy of Art.[21]

Personal life

Gilkes married British-Bahraini fashion designer Misha Nonoo in Venice, Italy in May 2012 and the pair lived in New York City.[22] Their divorce was finalized in the summer of 2017.[23]

Since 2018, Gilkes has been in a relationship with Russian former tennis player Maria Sharapova.[2] They announced their engagement on 17 December 2020.[3] Their son was born on 1 July 2022.[24]

References
  1. "Alexander Mark Heming GILKES - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. "Who Is Maria Sharapova's Boyfriend, Alexander Gilkes?". Essentially Sports. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. "Maria Sharapova Is Engaged to Prince William's Friend Alexander Gilkes: 'Our Little Secret'". People. 17 December 2020.
  4. Andaloro, Angela (15 July 2022). "Maria Sharapova and Fiancé Alexander Gilkes Welcome Their First Baby: 'Our Little Family'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. "The Aesthete: Alexander Gilkes talks personal taste". 5 December 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  6. Kolodny, Lora (6 June 2013). "Paddle8 Raises $6M to Do for Fine Art What StubHub Does for Concert Tickets – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  7. "With Big-Name Backing And Some eBay Flavor, These Startups Are Looking To Shake Up The Art Market". TechCrunch. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  8. Meet Paddle8’s Alexander Gilkes, Art Auction Disruptor | Observer
  9. Bernstein, Jacob (29 October 2014). "Meet Alexander Gilkes, Co-Founder of Paddle8, an Online Auction House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  10. Maffucci, Samantha (31 August 2018). "Who Is Maria Sharapova's Boyfriend? New Details on Alexander Gilkes". Yahoo. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  11. "Madonna and Bulgari—Along With Ariana Grande, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dave Chappelle—Party in Miami for Raising Malawi". Vogue. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  12. Reginato, James. "The Elton John AIDS Foundation Pulled Out All the Stops at Its Fall Gala". Vanities. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  13. Lee, Denny (8 February 2018). "amfAR Kicks Off New York Fashion Week". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  14. Bernstein, Jacob (29 October 2014). "He Knows His Royalty, and His Art". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  15. Merced, Michael J. de la (12 May 2016). "2 Online Art Auctioneers to Merge and Go Global". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  16. Solway, Diane. "New Kid on the Block". W Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  17. Chou, Kimberly (14 December 2012). "Art Site Takes Charitable Turn". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  18. Roy, Neelabhra. "Who is Alexander Gilkes? What is his net worth? All you need to know about Maria Sharapova's fiance with whom she is expecting her first child". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  19. "Alexander Gilkes, Most Creative People | Fast Company". Fast Company. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  20. "Alexander Gilkes: Executive Profile & Biography – Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  21. "Downtown Art School that Warhol Started Raises its Celebrity Profile". The New York Times. 26 April 2017. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  22. Solway, Diane. "Alexander Gilkes and Misha Nonoo Wed in Venice". W Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016. And so this past May, one year after he launched Paddle8 and converted to Judaism to marry fellow Briton Misha Nonoo, 25, a rising fashion designer, Gilkes wed in grand style in Venice.
  23. "Meet the woman rumoured to have matchmade Meghan and Harry". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  24. "Maria Sharapova Welcomes Her First Child". Vogue. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
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