Fintech PR
Artprice (New York) – Thierry Ehrmann: Patrick Drahi’s Acquisition of Sotheby’s Confirms the Art Market’s Entry Into the Digital Era of the 21st Century
Thierry Ehrmann: “Patrick Drahi’s acquisition of Sotheby’s confirms the Art Market’s entry into the digital era of the 21st century. Artprice has always argued that the global Art Market — weighing roughly 90 billion dollars — was several decades behind in terms of digital culture and Internet.”
Fine Art auction turnover for the world two major auction houses: Christie’s and Sotheby’s [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/06/artprice-sothebys-vs-christies.png]
“So it’s great news for the Art Market and Artprice to see Sotheby’s – the only listed auction operator — being acquired by Patrick Drahi, a 55-year-old global entrepreneur with a portfolio of telecommunications, media and digital companies. The offer price, which represents a premium of 61% to Sotheby’s closing price on June 14, 2019, and a 56% premium to the company’s 30 trading-day volume weighted average share price, reflects Patrick Drahi’s genuine confidence in Sotheby’s capacity for exponential development via a digital mutation.”
Artprice: “Since 2000, the Art Market has enjoyed a period of distinctly virtuous growth, becoming an efficient market with a return on investment of almost 7% per year and a volume growth of 450%. For much of this period, the backdrop to this growth has been a savings environment of zero or even negative interest rates in the eurozone. Meanwhile, the market itself has evolved from roughly 500,000 art collectors after WWII to nearly 90 million Art Consumers today, the vast majority of whom are completely at ease with new technologies.”
Thierry Ehrmann: “The soft power of the world’ major powers is a powerful geopolitical driver for the growth and development of the Museum Industry®. Artprice was one of the first players to appreciate and conceptualize the global importance of this industry. As we analysed in an earlier study, more museums opened between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2014 than during the previous two centuries. Every year approximately 700 new museums with international standing – each holding a minimum of 4,500 artworks – open their doors on five continents, representing one of the primary sustainable drivers of the global Art Market.”
For 21 years, Artprice – the global leader in Art Market information and a dedicated digital pioneer – has contributed to the Art Market’s evolution into the digital era. Its databanks are today an absolute worldwide reference in terms of exhaustivity, indices and Art Market statistics. Remember that Artprice, via external growth and R&D, was the first global player to produce algorithm indices, using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence based on the observation of billions of connections to our databanks in strict compliance with existing data protection laws around the world.
In his statement, the position of Sotheby’s CEO, Tad Smith, is perfectly lucid: he openly welcomes Patrick Drahi into the Sotheby’s family: “Known for his commitment to innovation and ingenuity. He has a long-term view with a proven track record in the field of telecommunications, media and digital companies and I strongly believe that the company will be in excellent hands for decades to come with Patrick as our owner.”
Likewise, Domenico De Sole, chairman of the Sotheby’s board of directors, welcomes the move: “Following a comprehensive review, the Board enthusiastically supports Mr. Drahi’s offer, which delivers a significant premium to market for our shareholders.”
Several key facts and figures concerning Sotheby’s and the Fine Art auction market:
Sotheby’s is the world’s number two Fine Art auction operator with a total turnover of $3,93 billion in 2018, behind Christie’s with $5 billion. Together, the two Anglo-Saxon giants account for over half of the planet’s Fine Art auction turnover: Christie’s for 32.3% and Sotheby’s for 25.4%. Their respective strengths are based on global coverage of the Art Market.
Sotheby’s 2018 Fine Art auction turnover by location
© Artprice.com
New York: $2 billion (51%)
London: $1.1 billion (28%)
Hong Kong: $554 million (14%)
Paris: $188 million (5%)
Milan: $32 million (0.8%)
Melbourne: $24 million (0.6%)
Mumbai: $8 million (0.2%)
Zurich: $7 million (0.2%)
Despite 275 years of existence, Sotheby’s has experienced a number of relatively close strategy changes:
- 2015: Tad Smith became CEO and the firm terminated sales in mainland China (Beijing) and the Middle East(Doha)
- 2016: 13.5% of Sotheby’s was acquired by the Chinese insurance company Taikang Life Insurance, whose CEO is the founder of the Chinese auction operator, China Guardian
- 2017: the firm eliminated buyers’ fees from online sales
- 2018: buyers’ fees were re-established for online sales
Sales growth at both Christie’s and Sotheby’s has been around 400% since 2000, comparable to the 450% growth of the global Art Market over the same period.
After the announcement of Sotheby’s H1 2018 results, Sotheby’s share price dropped 10%. Despite rising sales, the company’s profits fell by 23%, a contraction that Sotheby’s blamed on its own guarantee strategy. Apparently the sale of Modigliani’s Nu Couché (sur le côté gauche) (1917-18) for $157 million – an absolute record for Sotheby’s – was not the best financial transaction of the year for the world’s second largest auction operator.
Artprice: “The world’s top two auction houses, with no rivals to date, are now both owned by French investors and collectors: François Pinault acquired Christie’s in 1998 and now Patrick Drahi effectively owns Sotheby’s since 17 June 2019.”
Fintech PR
Wahed appoints Khalid Al Jassim as Executive Chairman of Wahed MENA to help guide the strategic growth of Wahed in the region
DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Wahed, a global Shariah-compliant fintech, has appointed Khalid Al Jassim as Chairman of Wahed MENA.
On this appointment, Khalid commented, ”I am excited to guide Wahed’s growth in the region. Wahed’s mission of furthering Islamic Finance is one I resonate with deeply and I look forward to supporting its growth ambitions.”
Khalid has over twenty five years of investment banking and corporate advisory experience gained with some of the most innovative and groundbreaking institutions in the world.
His career spans leading firms including SABIC, Arthur Anderson and Arcapita Bank in Bahrain, where he was instrumental in making it into one of the PE powerhouses in the region. His responsibilities started in the earlier years with establishing the Investment Placement Team and transforming it into one of the most robust teams in the industry. At the time that Khalid left Arcapita to build his personal business, he was an Executive Director. Today he is Chairman of Afkar Vision, a private advisory house specialized in mergers and acquisitions with offices in Manama, Dubai and Riyadh.
As well as being one of the earliest investors in Wahed, he is currently Chairman of the Audit Committee and Board Member at Bahrain Islamic Bank, the 4th oldest Islamic Bank in the World and Board Member at SICO Bank and SICO Capital in Saudi, an $8bn asset manager in the region.
Mohsin Siddiqui, Wahed CEO said, “We are delighted to announce Khalid’s appointment. His unique understanding of the financial landscape in the MENA region is unparalleled and we are excited to bring this expertise in continuing to grow our presence in the region.”
About Wahed
Founded in 2015, Wahed is a financial technology company that is advancing financial inclusion through accessible, affordable, and values-based investing. The company has made significant inroads in the world Shariah compliant investing by creating an easy-to-use digital platform that provides a suite of Shariah compliant investing products including managed portfolios and venture and real estate investments. Wahed caters to over 400,000 customers globally and manages over $ 1 billion in assets.
For more information, visit: www.wahed.com
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DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announces a strategic investment in Wahed, a global Shariah-compliant fintech.
Wahed currently manages over $1 billion in assets and has attracted over 400,000 clients worldwide. The company is built on the principles of democratizing access to financial services and offers clients access to Shariah-compliant investments in its mobile app. Wahed removes the barriers to sophisticated investment management services that have been traditionally reserved for high-net-worth investors.
Khalid Al Jassim, Executive Chairman of Wahed MENA said: ‘We are delighted to welcome our new shareholders, QDB. We believe Qatar is fully aligned with our mission in creating a technology-first Islamic finance leader that unlocks a financial ecosystem free from Riba. We look forward to supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030 of becoming a leading knowledge-based economy.
Ali Rahimtula, Partner at Cue Ball Capital said: “Qatar Development Bank’s strategic investment is a clear signal of the faith the industry has in Wahed and its ability to create the future of Islamic Finance.”
About Wahed
Founded in 2015, Wahed is a financial technology company that is advancing financial inclusion through accessible, affordable, and values-based investing. The company has made significant inroads in the world Shariah compliant investing by creating an easy-to-use digital platform that provides a suite of Shariah compliant investing products including managed portfolios and venture and real estate investments. Wahed caters to over 400,000 customers globally and manages over $ 1 billion in assets.
For more information, visit: www.wahed.com
About Qatar Development Bank
Qatar Development Bank’s mission is to advance the economic and innovation development cycle of Qatar, supporting and contributing to the nation’s economic diversification. As well as a focus on the development of Qatar’s private sector, QDB is a powerful catalyst for socio-economic development in the country, empowering the local economy and bettering living standards.
For more information, visit: https://www.qdb.qa/
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/qatar-development-bank-announces-strategic-investment-in-global-islamic-fintech-wahed-302314778.html
DHAKA, Bangladesh, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — With the popularity of electric vehicles in Bangladesh, the globally renowned AIMA brand has also arrived in Bangladesh. The esteemed DX Group has brought the AIMA F-626 to customers. This environmentally friendly battery-operated electric motorbike has already been approved by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) now.
In light of the increasing popularity of electric motorcycles in the country, the internationally-leading brand AIMA has entered the market. By the end of 2023, AIMA electric two-wheelers had established a presence in over 50 countries worldwide, with 11 global production bases, including overseas factories in Indonesia and Vietnam. In 2022, AIMA collaborated with Rob Janoff, the designer of the Apple logo, to refresh the brand’s VI system with a youthful and fashionable image. In 2023, AIMA teamed up with PANTONE, the global authority in color expertise, to create the trending color of the year. As an industry leader, AIMA spearheads the electric two-wheeler sector and showcases the prowess of a leading electric two-wheeler brand on a global scale. As of March 31, 2024, AIMA’s total electric two-wheeler sales had reached 80 million units, earning certification from Frost & Sullivan, a globally recognized business growth consulting firm, as the “Global Leading Electric Two-wheeler Brand”.
Over the years, AIMA has always been a product trendsetter in the electric two-wheeler sector. As of March 31, 2024, the total sales volume of AIMA electric two-wheelers reached 80 million, and Frost & Sullivan, a world-renowned market consulting company, awarded AIMA with the market status certification of the “Global Leading Electric Two-wheeler Brand (by Sales)”.
AIMA adhere to the customer-centered product philosophy and technologies that support long-term innovation and breakthroughs. We believe that the efficiency and modern technology of the AIMA F-626 will present an excellent alternative means of communication for our customers.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chinas-aima-brand-electric-motorbike-is-now-in-bangladesh-302314773.html
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