Monaco Info - The Podcast

Our guest today has been called the Mick Jagger of the auction world. He spent his formative years between Switezland and Japan, and originally dreamed of becoming an artist. Instead, the introvert joined Sotheby's where he held senior positions and curated the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. He conducted the first art auction in the Soviet Union, helping connect Russian and Western art markets, and later served as chairman of Phillips de Pury & Company. The Monaco resident has conducted high-profile charity auctions at the Cannes Film Festival, appeared as himself in Netflix's "Emily in Paris" and DJed at the legendary Jimmy'z. His distinctive art-world persona has even inspired "The Hammer", a documentary exploring his insider world. Meet auctioneer, art dealer and curator Simon de Pury.

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Our guest today was born at the crossroads of two extraordinary worlds. Her mother was a celebrated star of the golden age of Egyptian cinema while her German father became a prominent figure in real-estate and later a diplomat. Speaking four languages, she went on to build a distinguished identity of her own, studying economics and law in Austria, with a career spanning investment, hospitality and real estate – and, of course, some singing and acting roles along the way. Today, the Monaco resident of 25 years adds diplomacy to her portfolio as she was appointed Vice Honorary Consul of Austria in Monaco in 2025. Meet Laila Schlereth.

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Our guest today was raised among diamonds, but her first language was music. Born into an Asian family rooted in the jewellery business, she began sorting gemstones with her father as a child while pursuing life as a classically trained cellist. A shoulder injury ended her ambitions as a solo musician, redirecting her toward another form of composition: haute joaillerie. After studying at the Gemological Institute of America, Parsons and Columbia, she founded her namesake Maison in New York. Today, her jewels are worn by Madonna, Oprah, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Not only has her work entered major museum collections but she has also set multiple auction records, including a necklace that sold for 5.78 million dollars at Sotheby's Hong Kong. Meet Monaco resident Anna Hu.

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Our guest today trained as a commercial lawyer in London before moving to the South of France in the early Nineties. He launched a luxury events company and joined Riviera Radio as operations manager and presenter, staying for 15 years and leaving as sales and marketing director. From there came senior marketing roles at Yachting Partners International and Fraser Yachts. Today, the author of "Smart Yacht Marketing 101: The Secrets to Sourcing, Winning and Retaining the World's Richest Clientele" is a commentator for CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox News. Meet yachting and luxury consultant, Mark Duncan.

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Our guest today is a British industrial designer who says, "I am trained to always think about how to improve something." As the co-founder of Origin Products, he helped transform the Polly Pocket concept into one of the world's best-known toy brands and created puzzles like the Rubik's Clock. The entrepreneur invested in Formula E to help shape the spectator experience, and more recently he co-founded Team Monaco for E1, the first all-electric powerboat championship series. Yet the inventor still finds time to illuminate the River Thames with an annual boat parade. Meet Monaco resident Chris Taylor.

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Our guest today was born in Beijing during China's Cultural Revolution when her family was classified as "enemies of the people" by the Red Guards. As a migrant child, she endured poverty and discrimination, and worked from age ten with little formal education until she was 18. Dismissed as a "zero", she became an award-winning violinist, played at COP21, was a member of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and founded ZhangOMusiq, an NGO using classical music to support humanitarian projects worldwide. The trilingual opinion leader writes oped pieces for Le Figaro and her memoir was published in 2023. Meet Monaco resident Zhang Zhang.

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Our guest today is the grandson of the American aviator who in 1927 completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight. The gifted athlete was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and disabled by age 30, yet later regained mobility through knee replacements and a breakthrough biotech drug. He went on in 2002 to retrace his grandfather's solo New York–Paris crossing, raising over $1 million and helping kick-start the private space-flight era with the XPRIZE. As Chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation, he is involved with the Save the Date centennial events celebrating the Spirit of St. Louis on May 21, 2027. Meet Erik Lindbergh.

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Our guest today is the Guardian's Formula One correspondent who has covered everything from title fights to paddock politics. The Brit is not afraid to ask the tough questions, which is how he became the first journalist to prompt F1's Max Verstappen to say "I will not speak if he is here" during a press conference. The sports writer has penned two books – including F1 Racing Confidential: Inside stories from the world of Formula One – but is equally as passionate about music, and in 2024 launched his own indie label, INH records. Meet Giles Richards.

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Our guest today has lived a few lives – a banker, lawyer, politician, astronaut, and NASA administrator. The fifth-generation Floridian lost an early congressional race, yet still turned his ambition into a 4-decade Washington career, including serving in the U.S. House, and Senate, where he became an advocate for science and space policy. In 1986, he went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Decades later, under Joe Biden, he came back to NASA and pushed the early execution of the Artemis program – NASA's return-to-the-Moon effort. Meet Senator Bill Nelson.

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Our guest today comes from a long line of dog lovers. Her great-grandmother Princess Antoinette, Prince Rainier's older sister, founded Monaco's first animal shelter. As part of the extended Grimaldi dynasty, the Monegasque was born and raised in Monaco but at age 12 moved to South Africa and later lived in the UK and the Netherlands, where she studied European Law. Inspired by her father's work ethic, the 25-year-old bilingual entrepreneur founded Final Stop to make legal and administrative support accessible in Monaco, and often attends meetings accompanied by her assistant, a dachshund named Frank. Meet Christine Knecht de Massy.

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