Going once, going twice… going viral: Meet the new-age auctioneer

“Emily draws blood first!” auctioneer Phyllis Kao calls out, referring to an early bid of $3.8 million, relayed by a Sotheby’s staffer. It’s July 2024, and she is at the helm of a live event built around a stegosaurus fossil named Apex; a rare, 27-ft-long skeleton dated to about 150 million years ago. She stands poised, one hand on the rostrum and the other swaying in the air between bidders, a bit like an orchestra conductor. It’s unusual to hear names at an auction, but this has become part of Kao’s trademark style. It puts the room at greater ease,…