John Hargreaves (businessman)

John Hargreaves was born in January 1944 in Everton, the son of a docks labourer, one of eight children who all shared one bedroom in a Liverpool terrace house.[1][2]

Hargreaves left school at 14, went into the retail business when he was 16, and opened the first Matalan store in Preston in 1985.[1] Matalan has over 200 stores in the UK, and employs over 16,000 people. He resigned as chairman of Matalan in November 2007, less than a year after taking the company private.[3] His daughter Maxine purchased British womenswear retailer Fenn Wright Manson for an undisclosed sum on 28 March 2012.

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2019 his net worth was estimated at £600 million.[4]

Hargreaves married aged 19, and has three children, Jason, Jamey, and Maxine.[1]

Hargreaves resides in Monaco with his wife. This alleged non-residence in the UK has enabled him to claim that he is not liable to capital gains tax on a gain of £200 million arising on the disposal of Matalan shares. This claim is being resisted by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, and the matter is subject to litigation.[5]

• Walsh, Fiona (11 October 2006). "From market trader to chairman of the board". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
• Judge, Elizabeth (26 October 2009). "Business big shot: John Hargreaves". The Times. Retrieved 27 October 2009.