By Hugh Pesci, Senior Editor, InvestInsiderNews.com
Published: 2025-05-22
London, May 22—There are days when the chaos of the world’s headlines can almost drown out the quieter news of the art world. The stock markets, as I write, are tumbling on the back of a shocking statement by Donald Trump, whose unfiltered threats about new tariffs sent ripples across the S&P and FTSE alike. Bitcoin—once the retail investor’s “safe haven”—has plunged another 16% overnight amid global regulatory crackdowns and the collapse of a once-hyped DeFi exchange. Even the previously invincible casks of rare whisky, that staple of alternative investment, have seen their first year-on-year decline since 2014, with industry trackers reporting a 9% slide across top Scottish distilleries.
Yet, in a quiet corner of the art world—a world that has always lived somewhere between crisis and renaissance—an event of far deeper human resonance unfolded last week. The final pieces from Pierre Simone’s private collection were sold, not through a typical gallery opening, but in a members-only, invite-only digital silent auction, overseen by the tech-forward disruptors at London Art Exchange. The timing—almost exactly five years to the day since LAX opened its doors—could not have been more poetic, or more poignant.
A Master’s Final Chapter
Pierre Simone, the Marseille-born painter whose lush, dreamlike canvases became a defining fixture of post-pandemic European art, has never been one to court spectacle. For years, Simone was the artists’ artist—admired by critics and collectors but rarely splashed across the mainstream news. But as the world roiled in 2024–2025, and traditional havens lost their shine, Simone’s story, and his work, took on a new urgency. Facing a personal health battle that would leave him, in his own words, “fighting to live on another day,” Simone made the difficult decision to let go of the last pieces from his private collection.
“It was a question of legacy,” a close friend and advisor tells me. “Pierre wanted his final works to reach those who understood what it means to invest in something eternal—something real, when the rest of the world feels so unreal.” Simone’s family, who have stood by him through years of artistic struggle and triumph, gave their blessing for the unprecedented private sale, which would become the most talked-about event in LAX’s five-year history.
The Silent Auction Revolution
If art is eternal, the way we buy and sell it is anything but. Enter London Art Exchange: the Soho-based company that has spent half a decade rewriting the rulebook for how art is acquired, curated, and invested in. Where legacy auction houses have faltered—tied up in bureaucracy, exclusivity, and outdated thinking—LAX has embraced technology, community, and a distinctly modern ethos.
The private sale of Simone’s works was the latest evolution in this model: an invitation-only silent auction, accessible solely to holders of the LAX Private Membership. Built atop a secure digital platform, the sale allowed high-net-worth collectors and loyal clients to view, bid, and acquire these final treasures—no public bidding war, no press circus, just an intimate convergence of taste, technology, and trust.
“We built the system so that our most serious collectors could move with total discretion, total confidence,” says Felix Valentine, LAX’s Head of Corporate Division. “In a week where the news was full of market shocks and failed institutions, this was a moment of authenticity—a chance to own a piece of art history directly, without the noise.”
The results speak for themselves: every Simone lot was sold within 48 hours, with winning bids ranging for the iconic Nuage d’Été. Several works will now travel to collections in Singapore, Zurich, and Los Angeles, while a handful will remain in London, promised to go on public display for the 2026.
The World in Turmoil—and Why Art Still Matters
To understand why Simone’s last sale matters so much in 2025, you need only look at the numbers. Since the start of the year, global equities have lost nearly $3 trillion in value. The bond market, battered by interest rate hikes and “higher for longer” messaging from central banks, has failed to deliver even basic protection. “Safe” assets are not so safe. The middle class is being hollowed out. Retail investors, already weary from crypto and whisky crashes, are retreating to the sidelines—unless, that is, they’re paying attention to what the world’s wealthiest are doing.
Because, make no mistake, the ultra-wealthy are not buying the dip in tech stocks, nor hoarding Bitcoin in cold wallets. They are buying alternative assets with historical and cultural value: fine art, rare manuscripts, vintage cars, and, yes, blue-chip contemporary paintings like Simone’s. And they’re doing it with a sophistication and technological savvy that outpaces any traditional model.
“It’s a different mindset,” says Giselle Cohen, Head of Corporate Portfolios at LAX. “Our clients aren’t just looking for a return—they’re looking for security, for meaning, for something to hand down. The Simone sale was about more than just a transaction; it was about building a legacy in a world where legacy is under siege.”
A Five-Year Revolution at LAX
For London Art Exchange, this sale capped off a whirlwind half-decade that has seen the gallery rise from ambitious start-up to category leader. From the launch of its proprietary tech platform—offering real-time valuations, private auctions, and curated art indices—to its expansion into interior design, hospitality partnerships, and international events, LAX has charted a course that many legacy firms now scramble to emulate.
The Simone silent auction wasn’t just a moment of remembrance; it was a celebration of everything LAX stands for: democratizing access to great art, empowering collectors to move like institutions, and proving that technology can deepen rather than diminish the art experience.
“The world is in flux,” says Valentine. “But art—true, lasting art—has outlived kings, crashes, and pandemics. Pierre Simone understood that. And so do our clients.”
A Note of Gratitude and Reflection
As news of the sale’s completion spread, tributes poured in from across the art world. Collectors who had followed Simone’s journey from the sunlit streets of Haiti to the polished walls of London galleries expressed both joy and sorrow: joy for the privilege of participating in the sale, sorrow at the sense of finality it brought. Social media, usually reserved for viral scandals or market memes, briefly became a gallery of remembrance.
Most poignant of all were the words from Simone’s family, who issued a rare public statement through LAX:
“We are deeply grateful for the support and love shown to Pierre over these years. His art lives on in every home, every heart it has touched. We wish strength and peace to all who find solace and inspiration in his work.”
What Comes Next
So, what lessons should investors take from Pierre Simone’s last stand—and from the whirlwind of 2025? In a world where conventional wisdom fails, and the news cycle is a carousel of fear, the courage to do things differently is not just admirable—it’s essential. Art, at its best, is a shelter against chaos. And for those who joined the silent auction last week, it was also a rare moment of connection, meaning, and hope.
As London Art Exchange celebrates five years of changing the rules, and as we remember a master who knew how to live—and to fight for another day—the message is clear: In a world spinning ever faster, legacy is the one asset that never goes out of style.
Condolences and prayers to the Simone family. And to the investors and dreamers reading this: remember, sometimes the most valuable things are those that last—beyond the market, beyond the headlines, beyond even ourselves.
Hugh Pesci, Senior Editor
InvestInsiderNews.com