Nasser David Khalili
| Nasser Khalili | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Native name | ناصر داوود خلیلی |
| Born |
18 December 1945 Isfahan, Iran |
| Residence | London, England |
| Alma mater |
Queens College, City University of New York School of Oriental and African Studies |
| Occupation | Scholar Art collector Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Marion Easton |
| Children | Daniel Raphael Benjamin |
| Website | Nasser D Khalili website |
Nasser David Khalili (Persian: ناصر داوود خلیلی, born December 18, 1945) is a British-Iranian scholar, collector, and philanthropist based in London. He is a British citizen. Khalili is the Founder of the Khalili Collections, which is said to include the finest and most comprehensive collection of Islamic art in private hands. Khalili was born in Iran, before leaving the country to study in the United States. He graduated from Queens College, City University of New York in 1974 with a computer science degree. He later received a PhD degree in Islamic lacquer in 1988.
He first started to collect art in New York during the 1970s, while also spending a lot of time in London investing in property during the 1980s. Over the coming decades, Khalili created eight distinct art collections under the auspices of the Khalili Family Trust. Khalili is said to have initially generated capital in the 1980s through the sale of a company and also venture capital. Since then his wealth has grown substantially, which he stated in an interview was due to "dealing in art, commodities and real estate." Khalili is known for the purchase of a number of large properties in London. His home in Kensington Palace Gardens, was sold to Bernie Ecclestone for £50 million. He is also the co-owner of Sixty London on Holborn Viaduct, London. It is currently leased by Amazon as their London office.
In 1995, he founded the Maimonides Interfaith Foundation where he serves as Chairman. He is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, a trustee of the City of Jerusalem and has received knighthoods from two Popes.
Due to the rarity of his collections and specialist nature, many commentators have drawn up different values. Khalili stated in an interview when asked about his collections and wealth that he "realised that no one was representing the core and anchor of any religion, and so I took it upon myself to buy everything that was available...I found things that belonged to a great heritage that was just sitting there unnoticed...They were displaced from history and deserved to be preserved and recognised".
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Wikipedia