Knighted auctioneer to the stars plants roots in Orlando
There’s a new dame in the City Beautiful, and she’s hoping to put her auctioneering skills to use as her family settles in.
Fifth-generation auctioneer Dame Brigitte Kruse — more on that title later — and her husband, Mike Sislyan, have relocated to Orlando with their three children: Givon, Lianna and Gianna Kruse-Sislyan. The founders of California-based GWS Auctions, which specializes in auctions of celebrity- and royal family-owned items, plan to divide their time between the Sunshine State and California.
“[This business] has allowed me to work with some of the most famous people on the face of the planet, all the way up to royal families,” said Kruse, who grew up on Amelia Island.
Two of her memorable auctions involve the King of Rock and Roll. GWS Auctions sold the shell of a private jet once owned by Elvis Presley in 2017 for $430,000. More recently, they auctioned the first “TCB” ring designed and worn by Presley, which set a world record when it sold for $440,625 in December, becoming the most expensive ring once owned by Presley to be sold at an auction. (A horseshoe-shaped ring that went for $204,800 held the previous record.)
Since the sale came shortly after the suicide of Presley’s grandson, Benjamin Keough, GWS decided to honor his memory.
“Just knowing how Elvis was, and I have a really good relationship with the Presley family, what we did was we actually took a portion of our proceeds from the commission that we made and we donated it to Jed Foundation, and they help struggling teens and young adults with mental health issues,” Kruse said.
In addition to celebrity auctions, Kruse also works with royal families, particularly Italy’s Medici family.
“Seeing their private family’s chapel with all of the renderings from the 15th and 16th century painted on the walls and learning about the art … it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “It makes every day that you work with them different.”
The Medicis eventually knighted her “Dame Brigitte Kruse, Ambassador of the Arts” for two reasons.
The ambassador title was bestowed in honor of Kruse taking her “craft to kind of a different level and making an art form out of it.” She has learned to conduct auctions in five languages: French, English, Russian,
Vietnamese and Mandarin.
But overall, the Medici family knighted Kruse for her charitable work — specifically with autistic children, a cause important to Kruse as her son, Givon, is on the autism spectrum.
“[My husband and I] focus on raising a lot of money and helping those children’s families and advocating for these children within the school districts and lobbying for insurance reform and making sure that these kids actually get all the opportunities that everybody else gets,” she said, noting her family has raised more than $1 million for autism research and charities.
Kruse said her family will continue their philanthropic efforts in the future, with specific plans to support Central Florida nonprofits.
“We would just like to help some of these folks because everyone we’ve met here in this community is just so kind,” she said. “We always try to use our platform for some sort of good.”
Kruze’s family also plans to take advantage of Central Florida’s entertainment offerings, including the theme parks and the Crayola Experience.
“Even though our son is nonverbal … taking him to Disney World and seeing
the way he smiles, there’s no other place in the world that makes him smile that way,” she said. “The theme parks are just so great about going out of their way and making sure that all children with different abilities are included and there’s a way that they can enjoy the
experience.”
And for her husband, there are Mecum Auction events.
“We’ve got three extra cars we don’t need in the garage thanks to Mecum!” she quipped.
Kruse and Sislyan don’t plan to relocate their business,
but they hope to bring their celebrity auctions to Florida and establish an Orlando office. In the meantime, Kruse is ready to take in consignments and work with local residents and businesses to assist with liquidations and appraisals.
“With all the socialites and wealthy families around here, certainly there’s some of those that really just need a qualified professional to at least ... tell them what they have, the quality of it and what it’s worth,” she said. “We’re just excited about being part of this community … we’re seeing a lot more of Florida in our future.”