Tony Pidgley

Anthony William Pidgley CBE (6 August 1947 – 26 June 2020) was an English businessman. He was the founder and chairman of Berkeley Group Holdings, one of the UK's largest housebuilding businesses. According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2019, Pidgley was worth £335 million.[1]

Tony Pidgley
Born
Anthony William Pidgley

(1947-08-06)6 August 1947
Surrey, United Kingdom
Died26 June 2020(2020-06-26) (aged 72)
OccupationBusinessman
Net worth GB£335 million (Sunday Times Rich List, 2019)

Career

Anthony Pidgley was born in 1947 in Surrey to a single mother, and then adopted from Barnardos. He spent his early life living in a disused railway carriage.[2] He worked with his parents cutting down trees and selling the logs.[2]

Pidgley left home in 1962 and founded a haulage business which he expanded until it had 40 lorries and then sold it to Crest Nicholson in 1968.[2] He then worked for Crest Nicholson for seven years.[2] In 1976, he established Berkeley Group Holdings which he expanded until it was one of the UK's largest housebuilders.[2] Berkeley specialises in executive style homes.[3] He has since seen off a bid for his business from his son.[4]

In 2016 Bloomberg referenced research from the previous year that had reported Tony Pidgley to be the second highest paid CEO of the FTSE 100 behind Martin Sorrell, with a pay packet of £23.3 million.[5]

Honours

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 New Year Honours.[6]

Pidgley received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2013.[7]

Personal life

He married twice, most recently to Sarah Hill, and had two children by each marriage.[2] They resided in a sixteenth-century house set in 100 acres (0.40 km2) in Windsor.[2] Pidgley donated more than £2,000 to the Conservative Party.[8] He died on 26 June 2020,[9] after suffering a stroke.[10]

References
  1. Times, The Sunday. "Rich List 2019: profiles 351-399=, featuring the Queen, Elton John and David Beckham". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. East End lad makes good to the tune of £123 million The Guardian, 21 September 2007
  3. "Top-end builders hit by volatility in housing market". Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  4. Father and son square up for Berkeley Battle Daily Telegraph, 18 February 2003
  5. "U.K. CEOs Face Pay Scrutiny as May Reacts to Backlash". Bloomberg.com. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  6. "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 8.
  7. "Honorary Graduates Autumn 2013". Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  8. Mason, Rowena (29 December 2012). "New Year Honours List 2013: Tory donors get gongs: Property tycoons who have given more than £160,000 to the Conservative Party have been given awards in today's New Year Honours List". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  9. "Berkeley Group announces death of founder Tony Pidgley at 72". Bloomberg. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  10. Prior, Grant (26 June 2020). "Berkeley Group founder Tony Pidgley dies". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
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