Richard Harpin: How to Make £1bn in 9 Steps - Huddersfield-born entrepreneur shares his secret
Putting aside his footballing allegiances - he’s a lifelong Newcastle United fan - the example he sets for others to follow is remarkable, made more so by his determination to share that which he has learned in order to give others the best possible chance of emulating his success.
Having sold his stake in HomeServe, a 12.5 per cent holding as part of a £4.1bn sale, you’d forgive anyone in their sixties for jetting off to warmer climes to raise a glass to a tropical vista.
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Hide AdNot Richard. Instead, just as he helped breathe new life into his local pub up in Nun Monkton, the The Alice Hawthorn, the seasoned leader told this newspaper that he now wants to breathe new life into the British economy. And he’s deadly serious; having already backed 13 entrepreneurs to the tune of £100m, he intends to back 13 more with the same amount over the next three years, which is certainly putting your money where your mouth is.
But, on this occasion, it will be that which comes from his mouth more than the money that comes from his pockets that is most precious, for his wisdom when it comes to running a business, and the energy with which he delivers it is priceless.
And, if he is successful in his mission, to double the number of large UK plc businesses from the current number of 7,500 to 15,000 then everybody, not just the industrialists themselves, wins, which is why this newspaper wishes him the very best of luck.