Alexander Gilkes is a British entrepreneur and auctioneer, widely recognized as the co-founder and president of the online auction house Paddle8. Raised in London, Gilkes is an alumnus of Eton College and the University of Bristol. His career in the art world began after a formative art exhibition visit in 1997. Following his studies, he gained experience working in France as an auctioneer for Louis Vuitton. He later held positions at the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH and became a shareholder in the art auction company Phillips de Pury & Company in 2008. In 2011, he co-founded Paddle8, an online platform that quickly gained prominence in the art auction market. Gilkes has been honored for his creative influence, including being named one of the “Most Creative Entrepreneurs” by Fast Company magazine in 2017. He is also involved with the New York Academy of Arts board and is frequently featured on prominent best-dressed lists. Gilkes gained significant public attention beginning in January 2018 for his relationship with international tennis star Maria Sharapova.
Alexander Gilkes: Art Entrepreneur and Founder of Paddle8
Alexander Gilkes (born 1979) is a British businessman and auctioneer renowned as the co-founder and president of the online auction house Paddle8.
Background and Education
Born in London to a prominent dermatologist and a mother working at Oxford University, Gilkes grew up in an affluent and intellectually stimulating environment alongside his younger brother, Charlie. Although he initially preferred sports, he excelled academically. He attended Eton College, where he befriended Princes William and Harry, and later studied Spanish and Russian at the University of Bristol.
His career pivot to art came in 1997 after attending the transformative “Sensation” exhibition in London. Following his graduation, he worked at the Quintessentially Group before moving to France to study French and serve as a lead auctioneer for Louis Vuitton.
Career and Founding Paddle8
Gilkes moved to London to work for the British auction house Phillips and also served as an executive at LVMH. He gained high-profile auction experience by leading charitable events for organizations like Madonna’s Raising Malawi and AmfAR.
In 2011, he co-founded Paddle8 with Aditya Julka and Osman Khan, aiming to create an online platform for fine arts, collectibles, and jewelry. The company quickly grew, achieving $35.8 million in sales by 2014 and successfully raising over $44 million by 2015 from major investors, including film and music companies. Paddle8 also became known for conducting over 500 benefit auctions for non-profit organizations globally.
Although the company briefly merged with the German firm Auctionata in 2016, Paddle8 became independent again after Auctionata declared insolvency in 2017. Gilkes has received several honors for his business acumen, including being named one of the “Most Creative Entrepreneurs” by Fast Company in 2017 and being repeatedly listed among the “Most Powerful People in the Art World” by Art + Auction magazine. He is also a board member of the New York Academy of Arts.
Personal Life of Alexander Gilkes
Gilkes is noted for his style, frequently appearing on the best-dressed lists of publications like Vanity Fair and GQ. He began dating international tennis star Maria Sharapova in January 2018. Previously, he dated both Pippa Middleton and Misha Nonoo.
Net worth of Alexander Gilkes
The estimated net worth of Alexander Gilkes is about $5 million.