Name: Charlie Gilkes
Age: 27
Company: Inception Group, which I run with Duncan Stirling. We own and operate Barts, Maggie’s and Bunga Bunga.
Turnover: £5m
First job: I started off in this sector promoting club nights from huge venues such as The Ministry of Sound and The Hammershmith Palais to regular nights at smaller venues such as Boujis and the Mayfair Club. My ultimate ambition was to start places of our own.
Dream job: A barrister
Car: Mercedes SL
Economy, business or first class: Economy. Anything else is way too expensive and particularly unnecessary for short haul.
Most extravagant purchase: My Jaeger-Le Coultre watch.
Most-played song on your iPod: “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.
Best business book: Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson.
Worst business moment: Missing out on sites to other people and seeing them doing well.
Proudest business moment: Making such a success of sites that have previously failed and we’ve been advised never to touch.
Your business mentor: Nick Jones and Mark Birley.
Next big thing: Buying art online through my brother’s company: Paddle8.com
