Who is South West's richest person Sir James Dyson and what is his net worth?

Sir James Dyson is best known for inventing the world's first bagless vacuum cleaner and founding his own company ‘Dyson’.
Sir James Dyson is best known for inventing the world's first bagless vacuum cleaner and founding his own company ‘Dyson’. Credit: PA

Sir James Dyson has been named as the richest person in the South West in The Sunday Times Rich List.

His total wealth in 2021 is recorded as £16.3billion which includes a £100million increase from last year – although he still slipped from top spot in the national Sunday Times Rich List rankings.

Sir James is best known for inventing the world's first bagless vacuum cleaner and founding his own company 'Dyson'.

The 74-year-old has more wealth than the other nine people in the top 10 in the region but Sir James came from humble beginnings.

Inventor Sir James Dyson with his knighthood that he received at Investiture at Buckingham Palace, London Credit: PA

Who is Sir James Dyson?

He was born in Norfolk in 1947 and studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art and the Royal College of Art.

He then went on to work in Bath to help create a flat-bottomed fiberglass landing craft called the 'Sea Truck.'

He later produced the Ballbarrow in 1974; a plastic bin shaped like a wheelbarrow which moved by rolling on a ball.

A few years later, after observing the industrial dust extractor in his factory, he thought about scaling it down into a domestic product.

He then started to design his concept using just cardboard and sticky tape – an idea which eventually spawned into the Dyson vacuum.

Sir James Dyson was the richest person in the UK last year but has slipped to fourth despite becoming £100 million richer

How did he grow his wealth?

The inventor and entrepreneur sold a product known as G-Force to Japan where it became a commercial success and won a design prize in 1991.

He then opened a plant in Wiltshire in 1993 and his Dual Cyclone produce became the top-selling vacuum-cleaner within two years.

Dyson products were made in Wiltshire until 2002 before moving to Malaysia. The company has also made hairdryers, fans, and lights and has 14,000 employees worldwide.

The growth of his company is unprecedented in the South West; Dyson recorded a net profit of £711million in 2019 and he is reported to be the UK’s biggest farmer as he owns large plots of land, including across Gloucestershire.

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