Richard Livingstone (businessman) explained

Richard Livingstone
Occupation:Co-owner, London & Regional Properties
Education:St Paul's School, London
Nationality:British
Spouse:Claire Burns (divorced)
Relatives:Ian Livingstone (brother)
John Burns (former father-in-law)

Richard John Livingstone (born November 1964) is a British billionaire property developer, through the privately held London & Regional Properties, owned jointly with his brother Ian Livingstone.

Early life

Richard John Livingstone was born in November 1964[1] in the UK, the son of a dentist in Ealing, London. He was educated at St Paul's School, a leading private school.[2]

Career

He trained as a chartered surveyor.[2] Together with his brother Ian, a former optometrist, they acquired the David Clulow opticians chain in 1992. They sold it in 2011 and are now primarily property developers.[3]

Many of their early developments were financed by Jacob Rothschild's merchant bank Dawnay Day, who Ian said "proved very supportive".

Through their company London & Regional Properties, they own David Lloyd Leisure and luxury hotels including Cliveden House in Berkshire, Hilton Hotels in London's Green Park and Park Lane. They redeveloped Marks & Spencer's former headquarters at 55 Baker Street, which now houses the offices of Knight Frank, the accountant BDO Stoy Hayward, and London & Regional itself.[4]

, together with Jaime Gilinski Bacal, they are developing the $700 million Panama Pacifico project in Panama City, Panama on the former Howard Air Force Base.[2] They are also reveloping the former Elizabeth House hotel near London's Waterloo station in a $930 million project.

In the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List, together with his brother Ian, they have an estimated net worth of £2.6 billion.[3]

Personal life

In 1997, Livingstone married Claire Burns, the daughter of John Burns, who founded the Derwent London property group. They are now divorced.[2] Livingstone is Jewish.[2]

The Evening Standard notes that they are eager to avoid publicity and seek to lead a normal life for the sake of their children, and calls them "arguably the lowest-profile billionaire siblings in London" and "these most secretive of brothers".[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LONDON AND REGIONAL PROPERTIES LIMITED. Companies House. 10 August 2015.
  2. News: Prynn and Bar-Hillel. Jonathan and Mira. London brothers behind a £4 billion secret empire. 31 December 2014. Evening Standard. 29 March 2012.
  3. News: Rich List 2014 (page 24). Sunday Times. 18 May 2014.
  4. News: Ruddick. Graham. Ian and Richard Livingstone pay themselves £124m dividend. 5 January 2015. Daily Telegraph. 31 October 2012.