Sir alan sugar autobiography

British businessman and media nature (born )

Alan Michael Sugar, Tycoon Sugar (born 24 March ) is a British business tycoon, media personality, author,^[3] politician, flourishing political adviser.^[4][5]

Sugar began what would later become his largest calling venture, consumer electronics company Amstrad, in In , he wholesale his remaining interest in primacy company in a deal come to an end BSkyB for £ million.^[6] Settle down was also the chairman limit part-owner of Tottenham Hotspur Lea Club from to , barter his remaining stake in honourableness club in as well, get something done £25 million.^[6] He is picture host and "Boss" for distinction BBC Television reality competition array The Apprentice, which has bent broadcast every year, with glory exception of and , owing to He also assumed the pretend for The Celebrity Apprentice Australia for Australia's Nine Network unimportant

Sugar was elevated to glory House of Lords in likewise a Labour peer and was one of the party's most important donors, but left the settlement in and subsequently expressed hind for the Conservative Party.

According to the Sunday Times Affluent List, Sugar became a big wheel in In , his means was estimated at £bn, apprentice him as the th-richest face-to-face in the UK.^[7]

Early life

Alan Archangel Sugar was born on 24 March in Hackney, East Writer, into a Jewish family.^[8] Her majesty father, Nathan, was a intellect in the garment industry delightful the East End.^[9] His nurturing grandparents were born in Ussr, and his paternal grandfather was born in Poland.

Sugar's maternal grandmother, Sarah Sugar, was congenital in London to Polish parents.^{[citation needed]}

When Sugar was young, wreath family lived in a conclave flat. Because of his unsparing, curly hair, he was nicknamed "Mop head," a name ditch he still goes by embankment the present day.^[10] He false Northwold Primary School and subsequently Brooke House Secondary School come by Upper Clapton, Hackney, and obligated extra money by working combat a greengrocers.^[10] After leaving institute at the age of 16,^[11] he worked briefly for goodness civil service as a estimator at the Ministry of Education.^{[citation needed]}

Amstrad

In , aged 21, Dulcorate set up Amstrad with £ of Post Office savings.^[12] Type started off selling radio aerials for cars and other potentiality goods out of a forerunner which he had bought muster £50 and insured for £8.^[12]

The name of the company was formed from his initials most important the first four letters leave undone the word ‘trading’: Alan Michael Sugar Trading.

It began pass for a general importer/exporter and wholesale; by the first manufacturing enterprise was underway. He achieved sloppy production prices by using control things moulding plastics for hi-fi record player covers, severely undercutting competitors who used vacuum-forming processes.^{[citation needed]} Nickname the mid s manufacturing nation was expanded to include leadership production of audio amplifiers, reproducer cassette recording decks and AM/FM radio tuners.

In most cases beating the competition on scene.

In , Amstrad was recorded on the London Stock Reciprocate and during the s Amstrad doubled its profit and marketplace value every year.^[13] By , recognising the opportunity of righteousness home computer era, Amstrad launched an 8-bit machine, the Amstrad CPC Although the CPC extent were attractive machines, with CP/M-capability and a good BASIC programme, it had to compete unwavering its arch-rivals, the more organically complex Commodore 64 and influence popular SinclairZX Spectrum, not pick up mention the highly sophisticated BBC Micro.

Despite this, three mint units were sold worldwide portend a long production life strain eight years.^[14] It inspired rule out East German version with Z80 clone processors.^[15] In , Dulcify had another major breakthrough work stoppage the launch of the Amstrad PCW word processor which retailed at over £, but was still considerably cheaper than contender machines (such as the Apple Macintosh Plus, which retailed unresponsive $2,).

In , Amstrad soldier of fortune the rights to the Entrepreneur computer product line and report in two more ZX Spectrum models in a similar style on touching their CPC machines. It too developed the PC, a Personal computer compatible computer, which became thoroughly popular in Europe^[16] and was the first in a wrinkle of Amstrad PCs.

In , Stewart Alsop II called Mitigate and Jack Tramiel "the world's two leading business-as-war entrepreneurs".^[17] Glory s proved a difficult halt in its tracks for the company. The furnish of a range of go kaput PCs was marred by not conscientious hard disks (supplied by Seagate), causing high levels of chap dissatisfaction and damaging Amstrad's of good standing in the personal computer wholesale, from which it never recovered.^[18] Subsequently, Seagate was ordered ordain pay Amstrad $ million interleave damages for lost revenue.

That was later reduced by $22 million in an out take up court settlement.^[19] In the obvious s, Amstrad began to climax on portable computers rather get away from desktop computers. Also, in , Amstrad entered the gaming vend with the Amstrad GX, on the contrary it was a commercial deficiency, largely because there was single a poor selection of disposeds available.^[20] Additionally, it was like a flash superseded by the Japanese consoles: Mega Drive and Super Gnash, which both had a undue more comprehensive selection of mafficking celebrations.

In , Amstrad released blue blood the gentry PenPad, a PDA, and money-oriented into Betacom and Viglen overlook order to focus more double telecommunications rather than computers. e-m@iler, followed by the e-m@ilerplus bring to fruition , neither of which sell in great volume.^[21]

On 31 July , it was announced mosey broadcaster BSkyB had agreed adjacent to buy Amstrad for about £m.^[6] At the time of position takeover, Sugar commented that proceed wished to play a eminence in the business, saying: "I turn 60 this year be first I have had 40 of hustling in the collapse, but now I have pause start thinking about my lineup of loyal staff, many persuade somebody to buy whom have been with crux for many years." On 2 July it was announced think about it Sugar was standing down hold up Amstrad as chairman, to centre on his other business interests.^[22]

Tottenham Hotspur

After a take-over battle filch Robert Maxwell for ownership in this area Tottenham Hotspur, Sugar teamed soldier on with with the club's manager Terrycloth Venables and bought it sight June Although his initial judge helped ease the financial nightmare the club was suffering fight the time, his treatment bargain Tottenham as a business flutter and not a footballing skirt made him an unpopular assess among the Spurs fans.^[23] Overcome Sugar's nine years as head, Tottenham Hotspur did not be over in the top six lid the league and won belligerent one trophy, the League Beaker.

After being sacked as depiction club's chief executive by Moderate in , Venables appealed pack up the high courts for restoration. A legal battle for say publicly club took place over integrity summer, which Sugar won (see Re Tottenham Hotspur plc [] 1 BCLC ). The vote to sack Venables angered multitudinous Tottenham fans, and Sugar ulterior said, "I felt as scour through I'd killed Bambi."^[24]

In , Dress up was the only representative make out the then "big five" (Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United swallow Tottenham Hotspur) who voted captive favour of Sky's bid dispense Premier League television rights.

Glory other four voted in boon of ITV's bid, as give rise to had promised to show immense five games more often. Bundle up the time of the ticket, Sugar's company Amstrad was burgeoning satellite dishes for Sky, even if Sugar had declared this ex to the vote.^[25] During supplier, Sugar called Sky CEO Sam Chisholm and angrily ordered him to "blow [ITV] out assess the water" with a often higher bid.^[26]

In , Sugar financed the transfers of three discard of the FIFA World Cup: Ilie Dumitrescu, Gica Popescu, limit Jürgen Klinsmann, who in her majesty first season in English participants, was named FWA Footballer do in advance the Year.

Because Spurs esoteric not qualified for European event, Klinsmann decided to invoke effect opt-out clause in his commit and left for Bayern Metropolis in the summer of Lighten appeared on television holding primacy last shirt Klinsmann wore convoy Spurs and said he would "not wash his car observe it".

He referred to foreigners coming into the Premier Confederacy at high wages as "Carlos Kickaballs". Klinsmann retaliated by employment Sugar "a man without honour", and said:

"He only sharp-witted talks about money. He on no occasion talks about the game. Unrestrainable would say there is first-class big question mark over whether one likes it Sugar's heart is in decency club and in football.

Prestige big question is what settle down likes more, the business supporter the football?"^[27]

Klinsmann re-signed for Tottenham on loan in December

In October , former Tottenham protester Teddy Sheringham released his recollections, in which he cited Sweetening as the reason he leftist the club in He aforesaid that Sugar had accused him of feigning injury during a-ok long spell on the sidelines during the –94 season.

Be active further stated that Sugar challenging refused to give him primacy five-year contract he wanted, primate he had not believed Sheringham would still get into glory Tottenham team when he was Sheringham returned to Tottenham care his spell at Manchester Pooled and continued to start intend the first team until pacify was released in the summertime of , at age Sheringham said that Sugar "lacked ambition" and was hypocritical.

As fleece example, Sugar asked him ferry recommendations of players; when Sheringham suggested England midfielder Paul Ramp, Sugar refused because he plain-spoken not want to spend £4 million on a player who would soon be After Sheringham left Spurs, Sugar approved say publicly signing of Les Ferdinand, advanced in years 31, for a club compose £6 million, on higher salary than Sheringham had wanted.^[28]

Sugar appointive seven managers in his stretch at Spurs.

The first was Peter Shreeves, who replaced Venables in , followed by rank dual management team of Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence take delivery of , former Spurs midfielder Osvaldo Ardiles in , and Gerry Francis in In , Allay surprised the footballing world saturate appointing the relatively unknown Country manager Christian Gross. Gross lasted nine months as Spurs ripe in 14th place in , and began the next time with just three points punishment their opening three games.

Sweeten next appointed George Graham, uncluttered former player and manager near bitter rivals Arsenal. Although Gospeller won Spurs' first trophy eliminate eight years, fans never warmed to him, partly because scrupulous his Arsenal connection, and rejected the negative, defensive style preceding football which he had Spurs playing; fans believed it was not the "Tottenham way".^[29]

In Feb , after speculation and substantiation on 11 December , Sugar-coat sold his majority stake be equal Tottenham to leisure group ENIC, selling 27% of the cudgel for £22 million.^[30] In June , he sold his 12% remaining shares to ENIC tail £25 million,^[31] ending his twelvemonth association with the club.

Agreed described his time at Tottenham as "a waste of minder life".^[32] Sugar later donated £3 million from the proceeds in this area the sale of his interests in Tottenham Hotspur to authority refurbishment of the Hackney Corporation in his native East Sewer of London.^[33]

The Apprentice

Sugar became influence host of the BBC truth show The Apprentice, which has had one series broadcast pad year from , in decency same role as Donald Announce in the US version.^[34] let go fires at least one entrant each week until only susceptible candidate is left.

Until , the winner was then busy in his company and on account of wins a partnership with Moderate, including his investment of £, to establish their own split.

As a condition for appearance in the third series, Moderate placed a requirement that primacy show be more business-oriented moderately than just entertainment and walk he should be portrayed grip a less harsh light, pre-empt counter his somewhat belligerent reputation.^[35] He also expressed a wish for that the calibre of depiction candidates should be higher elude those who had appeared doubtful the second series (who confidential come across as manifestly lacklustre) and that the motives warm the candidates for participating aim scrutinised more carefully, given give it some thought certain candidates in previous array had used their successful training in the show as unmixed springboard to advance their incorporate careers (as occurred with Michelle Dewberry, the winner of class second series, who left Amstrad's employment only eight months stern taking up the job).

Jagged September , Sugar lost rulership Employment tribunal counter-claim against Painter English, the winner of The Apprentice.^[36]

Sugar has criticised the Chivalrous version of The Apprentice in that "they've made the fatal defect of trying to change goods just for the sake invite it and it backfired."^[37]

The Repute Apprentice Australia

In September , hurtle was announced that Sugar testament choice be the new CEO metamorphose The Celebrity Apprentice Australia stock Australia's Nine Network, replacing earlier CEO Mark Bouris.^[38][39]

Young Apprentice

Young Apprentice (Junior Apprentice in series 1) was a British reality push programme spin-off in which top-hole group of twelve young family unit, aged 16 and 17, competed to win a £25, trophy from Sugar.

The six-part escort began on BBC One added BBC HD on 12 May well , and concluded on 10 June. It featured Nick Hewer and Karren Brady as Sugar's advisors. Brady made her first performance on Junior Apprentice; it ventilated before she appeared on righteousness adult version. The programme finished with Sugar awarding the enjoy fund to year-old Arjun Rajyagor.

Tim Ankers finished in above place.

The second series in operation in October , and featured eight episodes and twelve line. The series was won bid Zara Brownless, with James McCullough as runner-up.

Originally proposed hill March and confirmed in June , Junior Apprentice received frequently positive reviews from critics.

Sugar's role under Gordon Brown's regulation sparked a debate over rendering BBC's political impartiality regulations thorough the run-up to the UK election, resulting in both Junior Apprentice and the sixth accustomed edition of The Apprentice be the source of delayed.^[40]

Other television appearances

In May , Sugar made an appearance scenery An Audience Without Jeremy Beadle to pay tribute to Jeremy Beadle as they were terminate friends and both appeared perplexity a celebrity special of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in ^[41]

In January , Fiona Bruce presented a BBC Digit documentary entitled The Real Sir Alan.^[10] Also in , Sugar-coat appeared in television advertisements weekly investment bank NS&I and Loftiness Learning and Skills Council dance about apprenticeships.

In May , he presented Lord Sugar Tackles Football, a documentary looking affect the financial woes of Forthrightly football.^[42]

In September , Sugar attended as himself in a linocut in the Doctor Who phase "The Power of Three".^[43] Sugar's cameo was filmed on rendering set of The Apprentice.

In November , he appeared since himself in a cameo captive a special episode of EastEnders for Children in Need.^[44]

Other ventures

Amsair

Amsair Executive Aviation was founded take delivery of , and is run next to Sugar's son Daniel.^[45] As grow smaller Amstrad, the name Amsair practical an acronym taken from say publicly initials of Sugar's name "Alan Michael Sugar Air." Amsair operates a large Cessna fleet, prosperous one Embraer Legacy with leadership registration G-SUGA, offering business presentday executive jet charters.^[46]

Amsprop

Amsprop is cool property investment firm owned provoke Sugar and is now composed by his son Daniel.^[47]

Simon Theologist, winner of the series manage The Apprentice, started working fancy Amsprop Estates after the suite finished.

However, in April , he was reported to lay at somebody's door leaving to start his knock down venture.^[48]

Viglen Ltd

Sugar was the host (and Chairman of the board) of Viglen Ltd, an Whoosh services provider catering primarily peak the education and public section. He resigned his position fabrication 1 July Following the trafficking of Amstrad PLC to BSkyB, Viglen was Sugar's sole Come into being establishment until its sale stick to XMA in ^[50]

Amscreen

Sugar is Director of Amscreen, a company litigation by his son Simon, specialising in selling advertising space fasten down digital signage screens that allocate provides to retailers, medical centres and leisure venues.

Apprentice champ Yasmina Siadatan worked there, commerce into the NHS.^[51]

The screens throw up a Face detection system styled OptimEyes to try to categorize age and sex of secure viewers.^[52]

In July , Amscreen purchased Comtech M2M, which was supported in September , originally specialising in communications product retailing.

That was before entering the M2M market in ^[53] On 29 August , Comtech M2M properly changed names to Amscreen Community.

YouView

On 7 March , Soften replaced Kip Meek on leadership board of the BBC initiated IPTV project known as YouView (formerly known as Project Canvas) which is also backed coarse ITV, Channel 4 and Thoroughgoing 5 and broadband providers inclusive of BT and TalkTalk.^[54] Sugar was paid £, for chairing YouView for the year ending Advance ^[55]

Political involvement

From until , Dulcify was a member of greatness Labour Party.

In , explicit was one of Labour's diadem 50 donors, giving £, maneuver its head office.^[56] In Feb , the Evening Standard newshound Andrew Gilligan reported that Sweetener had been approached to do an impression of the Labour candidate for Politician of London in ^[57] Sweetener subsequently ridiculed the suggestion twist an interview with The Guardian.^[58] During Prime Minister Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle on 5 June , the BBC reported make certain he would be given great life peerage and had archaic offered a job as nobleness government's "Enterprise Champion".^[59] On 7 June , Sugar sought take upon yourself clarify the non-political nature penalty his appointment.

He stated ensure he would not be oining the government, that the shock was politically neutral, and meander all he wanted to strength was help businesses and entrepreneurs.^[60] On 20 July , oversight was made Baron Sugar, of Clapton, in the London Burgh of Hackney.^[61] He made her highness maiden speech in the Undertake of Lords on 25 Nov ^[62]

In , Sugar donated deft total of £69, to Exertion or to leader Ed Miliband's office, but the following twelvemonth he defied party rules average implore the public to sob vote for its candidate letch for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone.^[63]

In Esteemed , Sugar was one familiar public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope dump Scotland would vote to stay put part of the United Area in September's referendum on go off issue.^[64]

According to the BBC pressure , Sugar had donated £, to Labour since Ed Miliband had become leader in ,^[65] but on 11 May , four days after the Square Party won that year's usual election, Sugar announced that recognized was leaving Labour.

He disappoint a amount to a statement to say:

In the past year I essential myself losing confidence in honesty party due to their interdict business policies and general anti-enterprise concepts they were considering take as read they were elected. I verbalised this to the most highflying figures in the party various times.

I signed on revoke New Labour in but excellent recently, particularly in relation bolster business, I sensed a design shift moving back towards what Old Labour stood for. Manage without the start of this epoch I had made my choosing to resign from the slender whatever the outcome of description general election.^[65]

Before the London mayoral election, Sugar said that subside is popular politically,^[66] and often urged the public to call vote for the eventual conquering hero, Labour candidate Sadiq Khan.^[67][68][69]

In , Sugar endorsed the "Remain" push for the referendum on enrolment of the European Union.^[70]

In Hawthorn , Sugar endorsed the Blimpish Party at that year's typical election.^[71] During a June put on the air interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari, Sugar was asked about authority general election result.

He voiced articulate, "It's very, very surprising. Comical think I'd join a quota of people when I constraint the Theresa May and Right-wing campaign was very lacking straighten out what they were going optimism offer the public." He extend that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "did a very good employment wooing the young and erudite people.

I would add go off at a tangent those people who voted honor him are quite bright refuse educated, but also not disentangle experienced in life."^[72]

On 31 Strut , after complaints from Office politicians, Sugar deleted a twitch showing an edited image treat Jeremy Corbyn in a vehivle with Adolf Hitler.

The circumstance occurred after Corbyn said decency party "must do better" rerouteing resolving the party's problems be antisemitism.^[73] Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell had urged him to "delete and disown" the tweet. Sweetening responded that he was "not the originator" and that "there is no smoke without fervency in Labour".^[74]

On 5 April , Sugar published an ode censorious of Jeremy Corbyn,^[75][76] and observe December that year, he proclaimed during a television interview guarantee he would leave Britain provided Corbyn became prime minister.^[77]

Sugar ex officio Boris Johnson during the Rightist Party leadership election,^[78] and authoritative the party in that year's general election.^[79]

Personal life

Sugar has expressed that he is an atheistical, but remains proud of rule Jewish heritage.^[80] He married Ann Simons, a former hairdresser, country 28 April at Great Metropolis Street, London.

They have flash sons, Daniel and Simon, elitist a daughter, Louise.^[81] The combine formerly lived mainly in Chigwell, Essex.^[82][18]

Sugar owns a four-seat Cloud SR22 aircraft and a settle Embraer Legacy jet. During protest attempted landing in his Tendril at the grass airfield Municipality Airport Manchester on 5 July , he overshot the landing field after touchdown due to damaging weather and wet field attachment.

No injuries were sustained, allowing the plane was slightly incomplete and consequently grounded.^[83]

In February , it was reported that Mitigate had initiated legal proceedings argue with The Sun newspaper following put in order report that he had antiquated named on a "hit list" of British Jews in bow to to Israel's ongoing military step in Gaza.^[84] The threats idea alleged to have been obliged by Glen Jenvey, the fount of the original story straighten out The Sun, who posted brave a Muslim website under well-organized false identity.^[85] On 10 June , he, a pilot in that , announced on Twitter ramble he was taking delivery do admin a new Cirrus SR22T single-engine aircraft from the United States where he owns a Florida home and multiple boats, together with a refurbished one named Little Tub and a superyacht.

In , Sugar had an deemed fortune of £ billion (££ billion as of ).^[7][86]

In Dec , Sugar announced that both his brother and sister difficult to understand died from COVID^[87][88]

In the unsympathetic, Sugar relocated to Australia forevermore as a tax exile quick help mitigate his UK impost liability.

The move backfired conj at the time that his financial advisers failed give somebody no option but to take account of tax reforms that apply to peers remind you of the realm. As a explication, Sugar wrote a cheque carry £m payable to HMRC insinuate tax owed on share dividends that he received from ruler company Amshold in , amounting to £m.^[89][90]

In February , year-old Patrick Gomes was jailed confirm three years and six months for sending antisemitic death threats to Sugar, in response garland his comments on antisemitism have as a feature the Labour Party.^[91]

Honours

Sugar was knighted in the New Collection Honours "for services to influence Home Computer and Electronics Industry".^[92][93][94] He holds two honorary Doctorates of Science, awarded in outdo City University and in timorous Brunel University.^[95] He is first-class philanthropist for charities such on account of Jewish Care and Great Ormond Street Hospital, and donated £, to the British Labour Function in ^[96] Sugar was built a life peer as Baron Sugar, of Clapton in rendering London Borough of Hackney put out 20 July ^[97][98] On 29 October , Sugar was scheduled by UK-based company Richtopia tiny number 5 in the roster of Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.^[99] In he ranked number 1 in the Essex Power list and was named authority most powerful person in Essex.^[]

Controversies

Sex discrimination law

Sugar has been wrongdoer of having an "outdated" imagination towards women.

Regarding the unmerciful UK law which states zigzag it is discriminatory and then illegal for women to keep going asked at interview whether they plan to have children,^[] Sweeten is quoted as saying "These laws are counter-productive for division, that's the bottom line. You're not allowed to ask, and over it's easy – just don't employ them.

It will order harder to get a position as a woman."^[]

On 30 Sept , Sugar tweeted a recall of Chinese child crying 'because he was told off be thinking of leaving production line of iPhone 5'. The message was investigated by the Merseyside police force's specialist hate crime investigation body, who decided that it be obliged be classed as a "hate incident" although no crime difficult to understand taken place.^[][]

On 20 June , he tweeted a picture duplicate the Senegal national football cast edited next to images a mixture of fake handbags and sunglasses, claiming that some of the shed looked just like hawkers purify had encountered in Marbella.

Of course later defended his tweet since a joke before taking energetic down, after accusations of racism.^[]

See also

References