Jack Dellal
Jack Dellal (2 October 1923 – 28 October 2012) was a British property investor. Nicknamed "Black Jack". His company, the property group Allied Commercial Holdings,[1] financed the purchase of Shell Mex House in 2002 and sold it in 2007. Dellal had a net worth of £4.6 billion, making him one of the richest men in England during his time.[2]
Jack Dellal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 October 1923 |
| Died | 28 October 2012 (aged 89) London, England |
| Education | Heaton Moor College, Manchester |
| Occupation | Chairman, Allied Commercial Holdings |
| Known for | Property investment, Oil investment, Banking |
| Net worth | £4.6 billion |
| Spouse(s) | Zehava Helmer (1952-1975; divorced) Ruanne Louw (1997-2012, his death) |
| Partner(s) | Katya Douglas (????-????) |
| Children | Guy Dellal Zack Dellal Catherine Dellal Gaby Dellal Didi Dellal Loraine Dellal Suzanne Dellal |
| Parent(s) | Sulman Dellal Charlotte Shashoua |
| Relatives | Alexander Dellal (grandson) |
Early life
Dellal was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, to immigrant Iraqi Jews Sulman Dellal, a textile importer[3][4] and Charlotte Shashoua.[5] He was educated at Heaton Moor College, also in Manchester.[6] Dellal worked with his father from the early age of 18 selling cloth. He retired at the age of 23, as a multi-millionaire.
Career
Dellal became a banker in the 1970s. He owned the Dalton Barton bank, which he sold to Keyser Ullman for £58 million.[7] He set up Allied Commercial in 1974 with Stanley Van Gelder, with whom he worked for over forty years. One of their deals was the flip of central London's Bush House in 2004, which made £750 million within two years.[7][8] He was said to have invested up to £200m in London's Dolphin Square.[9]
Dellal's nickname, "Black Jack", was popularly said to have derived from his love of gambling.[10][6]
Personal life
Through two marriages and at least one long term relationship, he had nine children, seven daughters and two sons.
- Zehava Helmer: (1952-1975; divorced) - Guy (businessman), Lorraine, Suzanne, Diane and Gaby (film director)[11][12]
- Katya Douglas: - Jasmine (film director) and Rowan
- Ruanne (Louw) : Miss South Africa 1974 runner up: marriage (1997-2012, his death) - Zack and Catherine.
In memory of his daughter Suzanne, Jack founded the Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater in Tel Aviv in 1989.
Guy was a director of Allied Commercial Holdings, who ran Allied Commercial along with his father from 1986, and took over operational ownership years before Jack died. By 2010 he was an investment partner of Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz,[12][13] and an art dealer.
Death
Dellal died in his sleep in London on 28 October 2012, aged 89.[14]
References
- "No unkind pay cuts for Black Jack Dellal," Manchester Today magazine, 1 February 1992
- "Jack Dellal". The Telegraph. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- https://www.jewishlivesproject.com/profiles/jack-dellal
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-dellal-tycoon-who-hit-property-peaks-8278041.html
- http://web.me.com/nmic/ps01/ps01_475.html
- The Manchester Evening News, 27 May 2005
- Rich List 2004, The Sunday Times
- Compton, Nick: "The Regeneration Game," The Observer, 15 February 2004
- Simpkins, Edward: "Dellal ups Dolphin Sq offer," The Daily Telegraph, 31 March 2002
- The Rich List of The Sunday Times, 26 April 2009
- Roddick, Nick: "The Gypsy Caravan," The Evening Standard, 23 August 2007 Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Lyons, Teena: "Trials of Selfridges' playboy bidder," The Mail on Sunday, 25 May 2003 Archived 21 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Danaher, Tim and Helena Keers: "Rotch joins Dellal in £500m fund move," Property Week, 08.02.2002
- Deirdre Hipwell, Chris Johnston (2012-10-25). "Property magnate Jack Dellal dies aged 89". The Times. Retrieved 2012-10-29.