Simon de Pury

Simon de Pury is one of the leading figures in the art market. From 2000 to 2012 he was Chairman and Chief Auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company. Earlier in his career he was Chairman Europe and Chief Auctioneer Worldwide at Sotheby's. At the beginning of this year he founded together with his wife Michaela, de Pury de Pury, a company specializing in private transactions of Impressionist, Modern, Post War and Contemporary Art. In 2010, he was the subject of an hour-long documentary on the BBC, titled The Man with the Golden Gavel. In 2010 and 2011 he was mentor in Bravo's reality TV show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. He is an active charity auctioneer, and over the years has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for a number of charities and cultural institutions.