Tom Hunter
Sir Thomas Blane Hunter | |
---|---|
Born | New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland | 6 May 1961
Alma mater | University of Strathclyde |
Occupation(s) | Property and sports goods |
Sir Thomas Blane Hunter (born 6 May 1961) is a Scottish businessman,[1] entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
Sports Division
Tom set up his first business after graduating from the University of Strathclyde as he was, in his own words, "unemployable". With a £5,000 loan from his
Other business activities
Hunter had expanded Sports Division through financing supplied by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but when he proposed the takeover of Olympus Sports, RBS refused to finance the deal. Through his friend
Senior lending manager Peter Cummings introduced Hunter to
In August 2013, Hunter put up a huge cash loan that enabled his friend David Moulsdale, founder of Optical Express eye surgery clinics, to save his company from closure after the Royal Bank of Scotland threatened to seize control.[4]
In September 2020, Hunter sold £52 million of shares in
West Coast Capital
In March 2001, Hunter was a founding partner of West Coast Capital, the private equity arm of the Hunter Family. Through this firm he has become a major shareholder in a number of retailers – including
At its height, West Coast investments covered over 50 companies, and Hunter was touted as a possible bidder for
West Coast Capital now holds a number of major investments in property, e-commerce and data analytics including a large stake in listed Secure Income Reit Plc, majority control of the £1 billion Winchburgh Village development and a substantial stake in Order Dynamics. West Coast Capital directly funds, alongside the Hunter Family, venture philanthropy, The Hunter Foundation.
One of the investments the company holds is a 3.37% stake in the
Philanthropy
Advised to move to Monaco after the sale of Sports Division, Hunter wanted to raise his family in his homeland. He came to the realisation that making money was, as he told Andrew Marr in a 2005 BBC interview, "only half of the equation",[10] and also from the inspiration of his acknowledged hero Andrew Carnegie, in particular Carnegie's book The Gospel of Wealth and Carnegie's sentiment that "a man who dies rich, dies disgraced".[11][12] Hunter and his wife Marion, Lady Hunter, subsequently established The Hunter Foundation in 1998 with a £10 million cheque as a tax management vehicle.[13] After discussions with Vartan Gregorian, head of the Carnegie Foundation in New York City,[11] Hunter set a cause and a method which has resulted in the foundation donating in excess of £50m to supporting educational and entrepreneurial projects in Scotland and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa in partnership with former President Bill Clinton through the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative.
In 2001, Hunter was interviewed for the
His donations and beneficial projects have included:
- £6m to the Band Aid appeal
- £1m to support the Make Poverty History campaign
- Supported the Live 8 concerts.
- £100,000 in a £500,000 joint project with the Scottish Executive.[15]
- £5m donation to establish the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde
- £4 million to the Children in Need charity appeal telethon, including a £3 million donation to Children in Needs Rickshaw Challenge 2019
- £1 million to the Comic Relief charity appeal. Matched the £1 million raised during Comic Relief Does The Apprentice
- US$10–25 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation.[16]
- Backed the Entrepreneurial Spark start-up accelerator, hosting their Ayrshire 'hatchery' in his Olympic Park building.
- £1 million distributed between The Alzheimer's Society and Music for Dementia[17] in November 2020, inspired by Paul Harvey, a retired teacher and pianist suffering from dementia whose four-note piano tune went viral online, and subsequently was arranged into a charity single performed by the BBC Philharmonic.[18]
Scotland's former first minister, Jack McConnell, has said of Hunter:[10]
His philanthropic work and the creative way that he has thrown himself into that have been one of the most significant drivers for change in Scotland in the last decade. The work his foundation does is all about being a catalyst for change, not a substitute and not a general giveaway but a genuine approach to change the way things are done.
In October 2013, Hunter was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Described by some as the "Nobel Prize for philanthropy", the medal recognises those who use their private wealth for public good and is awarded biannually to global figures leading the way in this field.[19] He dedicated the award to his father, who he describes as his "hero and inspiration". He also donated over £1,000,000 to children in need in 2018.[20]
Scottish Referendum
In August 2014, Hunter unveiled the scotlandseptember18.com website dedicated to providing impartial sources of information related to the Scottish Independence referendum. The site focused on 16 questions central to the referendum debate.[citation needed]
Recognition
In 1997, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year by the University of Strathclyde.[21]
In 2005 he received a knighthood for "services to Philanthropy and to Entrepreneurship in Scotland".[22]
In 2013 he was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.
Personal life
Hunter and his wife Marion, Lady Hunter, have three adult children.
In 2001, Hunter is reputed to have spent £1m on his 40th birthday party, at which
In April 2007, Hunter was reported in the
References
- ^ "List of companies related to Thomas Blane Hunter". www.flixens.com. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ a b c Davey, Jenny (4 January 2009). "The Humbling of Tom Hunter – Page4". The Times. London. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^ Kemp, Kenny (10 February 2002). "How the Westway was won by tycoon". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
- ^ Marlow, Ben (4 August 2013). "Hunter's secret role in rescue" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ a b "billionaire Hunter tops rich list". BBC News. 28 April 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ Davey, Jenny (4 January 2009). "The Humbling of Tom Hunter – Page4". The Times. London. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^ Power, Helen (17 December 2008). "Sir Tom Hunter to lose part of Wyevale stake". The Times. London. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
- )
- ^ a b Scott, Kirsty (2 January 2009). "Profile: Sir Tom Hunter". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^ a b "Profile on Sir Tom Hunter". YoungEntrepreneur.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Tom Hunter: Meet 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 Hunter, 2001". Scotlandontv.tv. 19 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ "Tycoon invests in schools scheme". BBC News. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ "Contributor Information to the William J. Clinton Foundation". Clintonfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ "£500k donation from Sir Tom Hunter" (Press release). Music for Dementia. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
- ^ "Paul Harvey: Composer with dementia inspires £1m donation". BBC News. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^ "Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter to get top philanthropic award". HeraldScotland. 22 September 2013.
- ^ "Tom Hunter awarded Carnegia Medal of Philanthropy". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ Alumnus of the Year Archived 23 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sir Tom Hunter 'chuffed' at award, BBC News, 11 June 2005
- ^ a b "Sir Tom Hunter sells French villa for £50m". Daily Record. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
External links