04
Alexander Gilkes
Givers Are Getters
Episode four of At Large brings us Alexander Gilkes, a serial entrepreneur and former chief auctioneer for Philips. At the world’s third largest auction house and as founder of Paddle 8, he hammered in over $1B of art, and adapted what he learned there to the craft of marketing. We’ll hear how his Etonian upbringing and passion for contemporary art led him to a career selling such rarities as a one of a kind album by Wu Tang Clan, and founding Squared Circles, an incubator hatching businesses at the intersection of science and culture. We speak with Alex in his now home city of Los Angeles, on the heels of a $40M fundraise led by L Catterton, the world’s largest consumer-focused private equity firm.
Beyond what you’ll learn about the art market, hip hop, algae oil, and English boarding schools, perhaps the most important lesson of this episode is about developing the instinct of generosity.
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Show Index
02:16 An Etonian Upbringing10:15 Cultural Differences: UK vs. US
13:34 Discovering a Passion for Art
17:40 The Auction House Experience
21:40 Founding Paddle 8: Revolutionizing Art Auctions
26:38 The Wu-Tang Clan's Unique Album Sale
32:37 The Aftermath of the Sale
34:45 Introducing Squared Circles
42:20 The Future of Consumer Trends
49:38 Hot Takes
Show Notes
- Adam Grant’s Give and Take
- Eton Mess
- Sensation (Art Exhibit)
- Squared Circles report on Conscious Maximalism
- Philips (Auction House)
- Once Upon a Time in Shaolin
- Horiatiki
- Alex’s Instagram
Internet Funnyman
Building a Digital Hearth
No Mud, No Lotus
You Can’t Just Switch It Off
Purpose & Play
Creative Courage and Talking Stuffed Animals
Silencing the Discursive Mind
Striking Internet Gold
Givers Are Getters
Hosting a Rave for the Intellect
The Hunt for Big Ideas
Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal
Not investment advice. Read important disclosures.