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Sir Philip Green

Born March 1952

Estimated Wealth £4.2billion*

Source: Retail

Overview

Sir Philip was born in Croydon, South London where he lived until the age of 9 when his family relocated to Hampstead in the North of London. He attended the boarding school, Carmal College in Oxfordshire before leaving at the age of 15 to work for a shoe importer. His first steps into business began off the back of a £20,000 loan which he invested into importing jeans from the Far East before selling them onto London retailers.

Green recognised the potential of the discount retail market becoming the chairman and CEO of Amber Day prior to purchasing department store chain Owen and Owen. In 1995 he invested into a takeover of sports retailer Olympus Sports, resulting with Green reportedly earning £73million when his share was sold to JJB Sports 3 years later.

Whilst £73million was a handsome return, it was soon overshadowed by the success of Green’s involvement with department store British Home Stores. Philip and his wife purchased the chain for £200m and transformed the ailing stores into having a current estimated value exceeding £1 billion.

However, Philip didn’t stop there, and his involvement in his wife’s purchase of Arcadia Group, the company that oversees high-street stores such as Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, further propelled his family’s wealth, with the chain generating a profit of nearly £300m last year alone.

Business Location

The Arcadia Group head office is based in W1, in the West End of Central London, one of the prime locations for prestigious office space. With London considered as one of the world’s traditional ‘fashion capitals’, whilst also recognised as a leading business city, it offers the perfect location for Green to oversee his business empire.

If you fancied sharing the same office location check out officebroker.com’s W1 offices.

Something you perhaps didn’t know…

Philip isn’t shy when it comes to spending money either, £4m for a 3 day event celebrating his son's Bar Mitzvah, in addition to a private jet and solid gold monopoly set are some of the extravagances Green’s wealth affords.

Next Week: Ultimo Boss Michelle Mone

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*Sunday Times Rich List 2011 – Combined Wealth of Sir Philip and Lady Green

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Published by AlecR on Tuesday, 22 November 2011 at 2:50 PM