Are You The Next Richard Farleigh Entrepreneur? November 20

Filed under Entrepreneur Hotlist by Seriously Business | 2 comments

Mini CVRichard Farleigh - Dragon Den Entrepreneur

- Born in Australia
- Years working in the financial and derivatives market
- One of the world’s top private investors
- Has owned a stake in numerous technology start-ups

Australian-born entrepreneur Richard Farleigh is one of the eponymous Dragons, in the BBC television series Dragon’s Den.

The 45-year-old was born in Kyabram, Victoria, Australia, as one of 11 children of an alcoholic sheep shearer. He was fostered at the age of three and had a tough upbringing.

However, Farleigh gained a first class honours degree in economics and mathematics from the University of New South Wales and spent years working in the financial and derivatives market after starting work at the Reserve Bank of Australia after graduation.

The experience gained in a decade working on the trading desk of Bankers Trust led to him being headhunted to run a hedge fun in Bermuda, which he managed very successfully for three years.

Having amassed enough money by the age of 34 to ‘retire’ to Monte Carlo, the multi-millionaire has spent the past ten years investing in a series of technology start-ups and other lucrative private equity investment opportunities.

Australian Farleigh is currently one of the world’s most successful private investors and is much praised for his ability to invest in high growth pre-exit companies.Richard Farleigh - Tamming The Lion

He has written a book about his money-making secrets, entitled Taming The Lion, 100 Secret Strategies For Investing, which has won good press reviews in Britain since its release in December 2005.

The more than 50 technology companies in which he has invested include Clearspeed, Amino Technology, Celoxica, Argonaut Software and Wolfson Microelectronics, and he also has a range of other interests, such as a stake in the Home House private members club in London.

Farleigh’s great success is largely down to his ability to spot prime investment opportunities, predict trends and have faith in his decisions.

The majority of his investments have been in UK companies and many of the firms in which he has invested have floated on the stock market or have been acquired.

The business mogul joined Dragon’s Den in 2006 for the third series of the show in order to look for new British investment opportunities. He describes himself as a “UK business angel” and is ready to put some of his �60 million fortune on the line to invest in new British innovations.

Richard Farleigh - MonacoHe told the Telegraph newspaper last year: “You know in the first five minutes if it is a waste of time. I invest in so many businesses, I can’t be an expert in private clubs, semiconductors, cancer research, chicken meat scanners - no one could be. If management believe in what they’re doing, and they’re capable people, it’s unlikely they’re wasting their time.”

Richard Farleigh now lives in Monaco with his fashion designer wife and is an internationally-ranked chess player and keen tennis fan. He is a member of the Business Review Weekly Rich 200 List and one of the 200 wealthiest Australians worldwide.

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2 comments

  1. Dan Matthews Nov 20

    Certainly an impressive CV. Just to let you know, all of the Dragons will be appearing at the Growing Business Awards (www.growingbusinessawards.co.uk) this year, along with John Caudwell, Charles Dunstone, Sir Anthony Bamford etc etc!

    Plus, you can read an interview with Deborah Meaden here:

    http://www.realbusiness.co.uk/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1608

  2. Dan Matthews Nov 20

    Nice blog by the way!

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