Alan Sugar

This business sorcerer from London has had many an apprentice, but still has a lot of knowledge to share.

• A successful entrepreneur and self-made millionaire
• Has enjoyed a fascinatingly varied career
• Well known for his appearances on The Apprentice
• Donates his entire fees for speaking and appearances to charity

Alan Sugar’s Early Experiences

Alan Michael Sugar was born in 1947 to Nathan Sugar, a tailor in London’s East End, and his wife Fay. He was the youngest of four children and discovered his entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, initially preparing and selling beetroot in his spare time and then moving to car aerial sales when he left school at sixteen.

From Moving Goods to Making Them In 1968, Sugar founded Amstrad (Alan Michael Sugar Trading) as a wholesale, import and export company. The business was successful and soon moved into the manufacture of consumer electronic goods such as the Amstrad CPC 464 home computer. Amstrad was originally listed on the London Stock Exchange in the 1980s, when the business was doubling its market value every year. Amstrad is still his best known company despite the fact it was sold to BskyB in 2007 (Sugar remains Chairman of the company). Lord Sugar has also founded a number of other businesses, including Amsprop, Amshold and Amsair.

Tottenham Time

Having been a life-long fan, Sugar became an owner of Tottenham Hotspur in 1991. During his time at the club he received mixed reviews from players and fans, but he stuck to his position until 2007, when he sold his remaining shares in the club.

On Our Screens

Although Sugar had already made his name in the worlds of business and football, he reached a wider audience in 2005 when he agreed to be the tycoon at the heart of the BBC version of The Apprentice. His down to earth attitude and (often incredulous) questioning of candidate performances have made the series a must see for viewers.

Recognition

Sugar was knighted in the year 2000 for his services to business and took his seat at the House of Lords in 2009 to become Baron Sugar of Clapham.

Alan Sugar’s Personal and Charitable Interests

Sugar met his future wife Ann at the age of seventeen and they were married on 28 April 1968. They have three children named Simon, Daniel and Louise. He is a qualified pilot and also enjoys prestige cars: his Rolls Royce Phantom is recognisable due to the AMS1 registration plate and is often featured on The Apprentice.

Lord Sugar supports a number of charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Hackney Empire and Jewish Care.