Listen

04

Alexander Gilkes

Givers Are Getters

Where do art and commerce collide, if not at auction?

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.

Listen : Spotify | Apple | YouTube

Show Index

02:16 An Etonian Upbringing
10:15 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

Apple Podcasts
YouTube
Spotify
TikTok
Twitter
Instagram
Contact

Not investment advice. Read important disclosures.

Listen

04

Alexander Gilkes Givers Are Getters

Show Index

Show Notes

Sauce Boss Meets Girlboss

Have Your Cake and Tweet It Too

Writing Your Way Ahead

Silencing the Discursive Mind

Alexander Gilkes

Givers Are Getters