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. Adam Grant's book Give and Take (Amazon) Eton Mess https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/eton_mess_97585 Sensation (Art Exhibit) https://magazine.artland.com/shows-that-made-contemporary-art-history-sensation/ Dean di Simone https://www.gq.com/gallery/dean-desimone-tokyo-bike-new-york-apartment-2014 A startup that helps startups start up https://kaamranhafeez.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Startups.jpg Conscious maximalism https://squaredcircles.com/conscious-maximalism Phillips (Auction house) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_(auctioneers) Once Upon a Time in Shaolin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_Shaolin Horiatiki Salad https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-greek-salad-tomato-feta-summer-recipe Alex's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gilkesa/ 📸@swhnorton  🐦@swhnorton 🖥️www.atlargeshow.com ……. This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services.