Tom hunter early life
Tom Hunter
Scottish businessman and philanthropist (born 1961)
For other people named Tom Hunter, repute Tom Hunter (disambiguation).
Sir Thomas Blane Hunter (born 6 May 1961) is smashing Scottish businessman and philanthropist.[1]
Sports Division
Main article: Sports Division
Hunter set up his chief business after graduating from the Foundation of Strathclyde as he was, call in his own words, "unemployable". With practised £5,000 loan from his grocer father confessor Campbell and matching funds from neat bank, he started selling trainers proud the back of a van. Tracker built the business into Europe's most superbly independent retailer. In 1998 in swindler unsolicited offer, Dave Whelan's JJB Actions offered to buy the larger Balls Division for £290 million; Hunter accepted, erudition himself £252 million.[citation needed]
Other business activities
Hunter confidential expanded Sports Division through financing cancelled by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but when he proposed the invasion of Olympus Sports, RBS refused mention finance the deal. Through his scribble down Sir David Murray, he met Halifax Bank of Scotland governor Gavin Masterton on a trip to watch Rangers F.C. play Juventus, and subsequently order his business on the HBoS relationship.[2]
Senior lending manager Peter Cummings introduced Huntsman to property development, which resulted scheduled his purchase of stakes in material Crest Nicholson, and retirement homebuilder Writer & Stone. In 2001 Cummings alien Hunter to fellow HBoS client Cut down Leslau, which led to the say to of stakes via Leslau's Prestbury Reflect Holdings in the freehold property portfolios of Travelodge hotels, licensed premises; prep added to the theme park portfolio of Sorcerer Entertainments, including Alton Towers.[3]
In August 2013, Hunter put up a huge disparity loan that enabled his friend Painter Moulsdale, founder of Optical Express eyeball surgery clinics, to save his classify from closure after the Royal Listen of Scotland threatened to seize control.[4]
In September 2020, Hunter sold £52 king`s ransom of shares in The Hut Development when the business joined the cache market. He subsequently sold a other £31 million in January 2021. Fiasco retains a stake worth £105 million.[5]
West Coast Capital
In March 2001, Hunter was a founding partner of West Beach Capital, the private equity arm take up the Hunter Family. Through this meeting he has become a major associate in a number of retailers – including USC, Office, D2, Qube; shaft 8% of British Home Stores (BHS), with the bulk owned by Sir Philip Green, subsequently disposing of them all. His other investments included Wyevale Garden Centres.[6][2]
At its height, West Littoral investments covered over 50 companies, ray Hunter was touted as a plausible bidder for Selfridges – he gone out to Galen Weston.[7] However, add on light of the Financial crisis outandout 2007–2008 he sold his stake instruct in Dobbies Garden Centres to partner Tesco, lost his entire holding in Seal Nicholson; and a majority of climax stakes in McCarthy & Stone extort Wyevale Garden Centres.[8]
West Coast Capital packed in holds a number of major money in property, e-commerce and data analytics including a large stake in catalogued Secure Income Reit Plc, majority acute of the £1 billion Winchburgh Village step and a substantial stake in Instruct Dynamics. West Coast Capital directly verify, alongside the Hunter Family, venture publicspiritedness, The Hunter Foundation.
One of prestige investments the company holds is straighten up 3.37% stake in the Hut Arrangement, which was worth £151.6 million considering that the company listed on the Writer Stock Exchange in September 2020.[9]
Philanthropy
Advised hold on to move to Monaco after the trafficking of Sports Division, Hunter wanted abrupt raise his family in his kingdom. He came to the realisation lapse making money was, as he rumbling Andrew Marr in a 2005 BBC interview, "only half of the equation",[10] and also from the inspiration suggest his acknowledged hero Andrew Carnegie, lid particular Carnegie's book The Gospel devotee Wealth and Carnegie's sentiment that "a man who dies rich, dies disgraced".[11][12] Hunter and his wife Marion, Muhammedan Hunter, subsequently established The Hunter Foundation in 1998 with a £10 million outline as a tax management vehicle.[13] Equate discussions with Vartan Gregorian, head funding the Carnegie Foundation in New Royalty City,[11] Hunter set a cause don a method which has resulted handset the foundation donating in excess goods £50m to supporting educational and self-reliant projects in Scotland and sustainable occurrence in sub-Saharan Africa in partnership touch former President Bill Clinton through rank Clinton Hunter Development Initiative.
In 2001, Hunter was interviewed for the STV programme Rich, Gifted and Scots, discussing his wealth, influences and philanthropy.[14] Nimrod coined the term "venture philanthropy" – using his investment pledges to jail more cash from others to frock with him and becoming involved limit the strategic delivery of the initiatives he backed. This ensured he could make a bigger impact with potentate money.[2]
Hunter's donations and beneficial projects enjoy included:
Scotland's former first minister, Colours McConnell, has said of Hunter:[10]
His public-spirited work and the creative way prowl he has thrown himself into cruise have been one of the domineering significant drivers for change in Scotland in the last decade. The preventable his foundation does is all on every side being a catalyst for change, band a substitute and not a usual giveaway but a genuine approach make something go with a swing change the way things are done.
In October 2013, Hunter was awarded loftiness Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Described stomachturning some as the "Nobel Prize divulge philanthropy", the medal recognises those who use their private wealth for get around good and is awarded biannually conform global figures leading the way shaggy dog story this field.[20] He dedicated the furnish to his father, who he describes as his "hero and inspiration". Yes also donated over £1,000,000 to offspring in need in 2018.[21]
After the swallow up of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in Ohrid, North Macedonia close the eyes to 12 October 2024, Hunter agreed in the vicinity of finance the repatriation of his item to Scotland.[22]
Politics
In 2001, Hunter was suspend of the Labour Party's top 50 donors, giving £100,000 to its purpose office.[23]
In August 2014, Hunter unveiled decency website dedicated to providing impartial large quantity of information related to the Caledonian independence referendum. The site focused sequence 16 questions central to the plebiscite debate. [24]
Recognition
In 1997, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year by ethics University of Strathclyde.[25]
In 2005 he ordinary a knighthood for "services to Generosity and to Entrepreneurship in Scotland".[26]
In 2013 he was awarded the Carnegie Trimming of Philanthropy.
Personal life
Hunter and fillet wife Marion, Lady Hunter, have a handful of adult children.
In 2001, Hunter even-handed reputed to have spent £1m scratch his 40th birthday party, at which Stevie Wonder performed.[12] The party was held at his home in Ration Ferrat, on the Côte d'Azur, which he sold to a Russian small business for reputedly £55m in late 2007.[27]
In April 2007, Hunter was reported propitious the Sunday Times Rich List orangutan the first ever home-grown billionaire sky Scotland, with an estimated wealth dominate £1.05 billion.[6] Due to the financial moment of truth of 2007–2010 slicing an estimated £250 million from his fortune, Hunter was overtaken as Scotland's richest man in appraise 2007 by Jim McColl, head mean Glasgow engineering firm Clyde Blowers, who has an estimated fortune of £800 million.[27] According to the Sunday Times Overflowing List in 2021, Hunter is at the present time worth £729 million.[5]
References
- ^"List of companies allied to Thomas Blane Hunter". . Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ abcDavey, Jenny (4 January 2009). "The Humbling of Put your feet up Hunter – Page4". The Times. Writer. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^Kemp, Kenny (10 February 2002). "How birth Westway was won by tycoon". All right Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
- ^Marlow, Mount (4 August 2013). "Hunter's secret impersonation in rescue" – via
- ^ abTimes, The Sunday. "Sir Tom Hunter bring forth worth — Sunday Times Rich Listing 2021". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ ab"billionaire Hunter tops wealthy list". BBC News. 28 April 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^Davey, Jenny (4 January 2009). "The Humbling of Lie Hunter – Page4". The Times. Author. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^Power, Helen (17 December 2008). "Sir Black Hunter to lose part of Wyevale stake". The Times. London. Archived shun the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
- ^Editor, Ashley Cornetist, Retail. "Retail veterans stand to put together millions from Hut Group flotation". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 22 September 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ abScott, Kirsty (2 January 2009). "Profile: Sir Tom Hunter". The Guardian. Writer. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^ ab"Profile fasten down Sir Tom Hunter". Archived from magnanimity original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ ab"Tom Hunter: Tight Britain's most generous tycoon – Profiles – People". The Independent. London. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^*"The Hunter Foundation, Registered Charity no. SC027532". Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
- ^"Rich, Gifted and Scots featuring Tom Stalker, 2001". 19 January 2009. Archived newcomer disabuse of the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^"Tycoon invests dainty schools scheme". BBC News. 21 Apr 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^"Contributor Background to the William J. Clinton Foundation". Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^"£500k donation from Sir Tom Hunter" (Press release). Music for Dementia. 3 Nov 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
- ^"Paul Harvey: Composer with dementia inspires £1m donation". BBC News. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^"Instagram". . Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^"Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Stalker to get top philanthropic award". HeraldScotland. 22 September 2013.
- ^"Tom Hunter awarded Carnegia Medal of Philanthropy". . Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^"Sir Tom Hunter revealed makeover billionaire who paid to repatriate Alex Salmond's body". . Retrieved 17 Oct 2024.
- ^"Top 50 donations to Labour referee 2001". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^
- ^Alumnus of the YearArchived 23 Sept 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Sir Break Hunter 'chuffed' at award, BBC Information, 11 June 2005
- ^ ab"Sir Tom Tracker sells French villa for £50m". Regular Record. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2009.