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Who is Alexander Gilkes?
Alexander Gilkes is a well-recognized British businessman as well as fiancé of Maria Sharapova. Specifically, Maria is a former World No. 1 pro tennis player from Russia and an Olympic gold medalist. Meanwhile, his full name is Alexander Mark Heming Gilkes.
Gilkes was formerly the co-founder of “Paddle8”, an online auction house based in New York City from. He served in the position from 2011 to 2018 until it was sold. Most recently, he co-established “Squared Circles” alongside Lukas Derksen and Paddle8 co-founder Osman Khan in 2020.
Profile of Alexander Gilkes
| Full Name | Alexander Mark Heming Gilkes |
| Popular As | Alexander Gilkes |
| Birthdate | 16th July, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Camden, London, United Kingdom |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Nationality | British |
| Race / Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Religion | Christian |
| Education | Graduate |
| University | University of Bristol |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Age | 43 Years Old |
| Sun-sign | Cancer |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Height | 5’8” (172 cm) |
| Marital status | Engaged |
| Parents | Robyn Gilkes (Mother) & Jeremy Gilkes (Father) |
| Siblings | Charlie Gilkes |
| Ex-Spouse | Misha Nonoo |
| Fiancé | Maria Sharapova |
| Net Worth | $25 Million |
Alexander Gilkes is a well-established businessman as well as a skilled actioner from the United Kingdom. Reportedly, Gilkes and his fiancée Maria Sharapova are in limelight in recent times due to the announcement of their pregnancy.
Early-life, Education & Family Background
Alexander Gilkes was born as Alexander Mark Heming Gilke on 16th July in 1979 in Camden, London, United Kingdom. Apparently, Gikes comes from a well-to-do household. Reportedly, his mother Robyn Gilkes served at the University of Oxford’s Department of Russian and Eastern Europe, while his father, Jeremy Gilkes, is a well-known dermatologist in the UK.
Additionally, Alexander has a younger brother Charlie Gilkes. And, his younger brother was a co-founder of ‘Inception Group’ in 2009. Apparently, it appears Alexander was never interested in painting as a child, preferring instead to participate in various sport activities.
In terms of his academic credentials, Gikes purportedly went to a private school and afterwards graduated with honors from high school. Thereafter, he attended Eton College, one of England’s most elite schools as well as University of Bristol for his education.
Alexander Gilkes’s Professional Career
Alexander soon began working at Quintessentially Group after graduating and remained there for several years. After that, he moved to France to study the French language. Subsequently, he became interested in art after attending an exhibition called Sensation at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, which was organized by Charles Saatchi in 1997.
Afterwards, he spent several years working for Louis Vuitton, where he was the company’s principal auctioneer. Previously, held positions as an auctioneer for the French company LMVH and the British auction house Phillips. In addition, Gilkes has formerly worked as an auctioneer for Madonna’s Raising Malawi and the Elton John Aids Foundation, among others. Moreover, he has also auctioned for several charities, including “amFAR”.
Nonetheless, along with Aditya Julka and Osman Khan, he co-founded the online auction business “Paddle8” in 2011. Remarkably, the LA County Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum have both held online benefit auctions through Paddle. Eventually, Auctionata, a Berlin-based online auction house, joined with the company in 2016. Meanwhile, Gilkes performed as the company’s President until it was sold to The Native in 2018.
Following that, in 2019, Gilkes joined Pace Gallery as strategic advisors to assist the gallery promote innovation. Thereafter, Gilkes ultimately co-founded investment firm “Squared Circles” with Lukas Derksen and Paddle8 co-founder Osman Khan in 2020.
Thereafter, Gilkes joined Pace Gallery as a strategic advisor in 2019 to help the gallery develop innovation. Eventually, in 2020, Gilkes co-founded venture studio Squared Circles along with Lukas Derksen and Paddle8 co-founder Osman Khan. In the meantime, on its website, the business enterprise is defined as ‘a venture studio, residing at the intersection of operations, branding, capital and talent’. Furthermore, Gilkes is currently associated with Pace Gallery.
Honors & Achievements
With several years of experience and expertise, Alexander Gilkes has built a name for himself in the art world. As a matter of fact, Gilkes was designated one of Art + Auction’s 100 Most Powerful People in the Art World in 2016.
Besides, the 43-year- old’s entrepreneurial career earned him a spot on Fast Company’s list of the Most Creative Entrepreneurs of 2017. Additionally, he’s also been featured in GQ and Vanity Fair’s best-dressed lists. Further, the Englishman is also a member of the New York Academy of Art’s board of trustees.
Gilkes’s Personal-life & Relationships
Alexander Gilkes was formerly married to Misha Nonoo, a Bahrain-born fashion designer. Reportedly, the wedding ceremony took place in Venice, Italy in July 2012. And as per inside sources, Misha and Alexander met at a Gilkes-hosted Tory Burch launch party, however, they decided to end their marriage after 5 years. Although Misha and Alexander were thought to have split up in 2016, their divorce was only finalized in 2017.
Then, Alexander began dating Sharapova in January 2018 and the two became engaged on December 17, 2020. Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova was nearing the end of her career when she began dating Gilkes in 2018. Whilst the pair is yet to officially tie the knot, they did announce the birth of their first child on April 19, 2022.
Gilkes’s fiancé announced her pregnancy on her 35th birthday, April 19, 2022. Allegedly, Sharapova made the revelation on Instagram that she and her fiance Alexander Gilkes are expecting their first child. Meanwhile, the former World No. 1 appeared to be in high spirits while posing on a beach, and she described her pregnancy as “precious beginnings”. Furthermore, Maria had stated that she would retire from competitive tennis on 26th February, 2020.
What’s more, the couple is currently residing in Bradenton, Florida, US. Besides, Alexander is also acquainted with Prince Harry and Prince William, the British Royals.
Physique
Alexander Gilkes, who stands at 5 feet and 8 inches tall, has a great physique. Meanwhile, his prominent physical characteristics are blue eyes and light brown hair.
Social Media Handles of Alexander Gilkes
Alexander is quite active on social media platforms, specifically Instagram where he updates on his professional as well as personal life. Particularly, he has 67k followers on his personal Instagram handle.
| Alexander Gilkes |
Net Worth of Alexander Gilkes
Alexander Gilkes’ net worth is predicted to be $25 million as of 2022. Meanwhile, Gilkes made the most of his fortune by co-founding multiple successful business enterprises.
Furthermore, the couple has a combined net worth of $200 million, which includes his fiancée Maria Sharapova, who for years was the highest-paid female athlete in the world.