Tony Murray (businessman)

Tony Murray
Born Jacques Gaston Murray
(1920-02-08) 8 February 1920
Paris, France
Nationality British
Occupation Chairman, London Security plc
Chairman, Andrew Sykes Group plc
Net worth GBP £1.013 billion (April 2015)[1]
Children Jean-Jacques Murray, Jean‑Pierre Murray

Jacques Gaston "Tony" Murray (born 8 February 1920) is a French-born British billionaire businessman.[2]

Murray and his family own Andrew Sykes Group, the heating and air-conditioning equipment hire company, and London Security, the Leeds-based fire protection business which includes the Nu-Swift fire extinguisher brand.[3]

In April 2015, The Sunday Times estimated his net worth at £1.013 billion[1]

Early life

Jacques Gaston Murray was born in Paris in 1920,[4] where his father ran a construction company, which built infrastructure such as bridges.[5] Murray was accepted to study architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.[5]

Instead, with the start of war, he joined the French Army, and following the Battle of France, escaped on a Polish freighter, and was one of the first Free French to join the Royal Air Force. Murray flew 38 missions for the RAF as a navigator.[4][5]

His father died in Auschwitz. He was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government.[6]

Career

In 1982 Murray bought Nu-Swift a Leeds manufacturer of fire-extinguishers then in difficulties, with the businessman Michael Ashcroft. Murray later "became irritated" by Ashcroft getting too much of the credit for turning round the company.[7]

Personal life

His sons, Jean-Jacques Murray and Jean‑Pierre Murray are both directors of London Security.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times (page 34). 26 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Un Français Libre parmi 51809". francaislibres (in French). francaislibres.net. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Insider Media Ltd. "New billionaire on Yorkshire Rich List | Insider Media Ltd". insidermedia.com. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Rich List 2015: No.3 - Jacques Gaston Murray & family - Birmingham Post". birminghampost.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Wood, Martin (24 August 1998). "Murray's made mint without meaning to; French war hero turned international takeover tycoon really wanted a farm". The Birmingham Post. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Birmingham Post Rich List 2014: No.4 - Jacques Gaston Murray and family (£850m) - Birmingham Post". birminghampost.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Movers and shakers among the contacts and business buddies | Politics | The Guardian". theguardian.com. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "London Security PLC". londonsecurity.org. Retrieved 9 September 2016.



This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.