Bloor, a miner’s son, missed a lot
of school through illness and left
at 15. By the age of 17 he was a
self-employed plasterer and within
a year he was building his first house.
Bloor Homes, based in Derbyshire,
has become one of Britain’s largest
construction firms, selling more
than 4,000 properties last year —
500 more than in 2020.
Perhaps Bloor’s greatest, ahem, triumph is his role as the
saviour of the motorcycle marque beloved of Hollywood
legends from Marlon Brando to James Bond. It has been a
winding road. Triumph Motorcycles, established in 1902,
had collapsed into receivership, allowing Bloor to snap it up
for £150,000 in 1983. His new range roared on to the roads in- Bloor has poured more than £80 million into Triumph,
earning an OBE for services to the motorcycle industry and
revving up his fortune. His empire had a strong 2020-21,
growing profits to £326.6 million on record turnover of
£1.9 billion. More than 76,400 Triumph motorbikes were
sold, 22,000 more than the year before, with nearly 90 per
cent shipped overseas. Such a high-octane performance
leads us to a valuation of £2 billion for his businesses and we
add £79 million for a strong track record of dividends.
Bloor, 78, has been a consistent Tory donor over the years,
with his companies handing over more than £3 million to
the party. He also funds the TaxPayers’ Alliance, a right-of-
centre pressure group. His donations have not been
without controversy. Last year he gave £150,000 to the
Conservatives — two days after ministers approved an
application by his housebuilder to construct 625 homes on
land near Ledbury in Herefordshire. 2021: £1.275bn, 129
85 JOHN BLOOR
£2.079bn £804m ▲
Construction and motorcycles: Triumph72= NAVIN AND VARSHA ENGINEER
£2.5bn £800m ▲
Pharmaceuticals: Chemidex 2021: £1.7bn, 96=72= LORD PAUL AND FAMILY
£2.5bn £500m ▲
Industry 2021: £2bn, 82=74 BERNIE ECCLESTONE AND FAMILY
£2.499bn £1m ▼
Motor racingEcclestone’s 40-year tenure as Formula One boss took the sport
global before a £6.4 billion takeover by Liberty Media in 2017. Now
the Netflix series Drive to Survive is cultivating the 15 to 35-year-old
demographic once dismissed by the Suffolk-born Ecclestone, who
said they couldn’t afford the wares of F1 sponsors such as Rolex. The
91-year-old retains a 2.1 per cent stake in F1 while Bambino Holdings,
his family trust, has 5.4 per cent. A hefty divorce payout went to his
second wife Slavica (qv) in 2009 at the end of their 24-year union.
The ex-model is mother to Tamara, 37, and Petra, 33. Ecclestone is
now married to Fabiana Flosi, 46, once in marketing for the Brazilian
Grand Prix. Their son, Ace, is nearly two. 2021: £2.5bn, 65=75 KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW AND JOHN SHAW AND FAMILY
£2.496bn £446m ▼
Pharmaceuticals: Biocon 2021: £2.942bn, 5676 ALEJANDRO SANTO DOMINGO
AND LADY CHARLOTTE WELLESLEY
£2.41bn £10m ▲
Inheritance, brewing and investment 2021: £2.4bn, 70=77 JOHN CHRISTODOULOU
£2.35bn £350m ▲
Property 2021: £2bn, 82=78 CHRIS AND SARAH DAWSON
£2.25bn £200m ▲
Discount stores: The Range 2021: £2.05bn, 79=79 ROBERT MILLER AND PRINCESS MARIE-CHANTAL
AND FAMILY
£2.2bn £200m ▲
Duty-free shopping, fashion and finance 2021: £2bn, 82=80 ALKI DAVID AND THE LEVENTIS FAMILY
£2.193bn £560m ▼
Drinks and media: Coca-Cola HBC 2021: £2.753bn, 5981 THE LAZARI FAMILY
£2.125bn £99m ▼
Property 2021: £2.224bn, 7382 ANDY CURRIE
£2.118bn £102m ▼
Chemicals: Ineos 2021: £2.22bn, 7483 JOHN REECE
£2.107bn £93m ▼
Chemicals: Ineos 2021: £2.2bn, 75=84 DOUW STEYN AND FAMILY
£2.1bn £50m ▲
Insurance: Comparethemarket 2021: £2.05bn, 79=86 PETER HARGREAVES
£2.068bn £342m ▼
Finance: Hargreaves Lansdown 2021: £2.41bn, 69John Bloor ensured a
Hollywood ending for
Triumph Motorcycles,
saving the brand ridden
by Pamela Anderson in
Barb Wire (1996)PHARMA FORTUNE
Entry 75, £2.496bnRich List 2022 Billionaires
ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES
The Sunday Times Magazine • 27