Who is Alexander Gilkes? What is his net worth? All you need to know about Maria Sharapova's fiance with whom she is expecting her first child
On her 35th birthday, Maria Sharapova took to Instagram to announce that she was expecting her first child with fiance Alexander Gilkes. The former World No. 1 looked extremely happy posing on a beach and referred to her pregnancy as "precious beginnings."
"Precious beginnings!!! Eating birthday cake for two has always been my specialty," Sharapova captioned her Instagram post.
This begs the question: Who is Alexander Gilkes?
Gilkes was born in Camden, London in 1979 and is the son of a dermatologist. He was educated at Eton College and the University of Bristol. He worked for French corporation LMVH as well as for the British auction house Phillips as an auctioneer.
In 2011, Gilkes co-founded the online auction house Paddle8 along with Aditya Julka and Osman Khan. He served as the company's President until 2018 when it was sold to The Native.
In 2020, Gilkes co-founded venture studio Squared Circles along with Lukas Derksen and Paddle8 co-founder Osman Khan.
What is Alexander Gilkes' net worth?
Alexander Gilkes' net worth is currently estimated to be $25 million. The 43-year-old's business career led to him being named one of the Most Creative Entrepreneurs in 2017 by business magazine Fast Company. He has appeared on the best-dressed lists of GQ and Vanity Fair. The Englishman is also on the board of trustees of the New York Academy of Art.
Gilkes married Bahrain-born fashion designer Misha Nonoo in 2012. The couple's divorce was finalized in 2017. The 43-year-old started dating Sharapova in 2018 and the pair got engaged in 2020. The Russian posted a picture of herself and Gilkes on Instagram following the news.
"I said yes from the first day we met. This was our little secret wasn't it," Sharapova captioned her Instagram post.
Sharapova was in the latter stages of her career when she started dating Gilkes in 2018. That year, the Russian reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the semifinals of the Italian Open. As a result, she returned to the top 30 of the WTA rankings. In 2019, Sharapova won eight out of 15 matches and dropped out of the top 100. She ended the year ranked No. 134.
The Russian competed at the 2020 Australian Open as a wildcard and lost to Donna Vekic in the first round. This turned out to be Sharapova's last Grand Slam appearance as she announced her retirement from tennis on 26 February.
With Sharapova expecting her first child, wedding bells could soon be on the horizon.
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