Duncan Bannatyne Net Worth

Duncan Bannatyne net worth: Dragons’ Den star Bannatyne has officially slayed the recession — his Bannatyne Fitness operation should produce a record profit of £12m for 2010. It’s just one of the entrepreneur’s many successes over the past year. One of seven children, his is a classic rags-to-riches story. He grew up on a tough Glasgow estate and walked miles to school every day, before leaving at 15 to join the navy, only to be discharged after serving time in a military detention centre for threatening to throw an officer overboard. Doing a series of dead-end jobs, he saved enough for a deposit on a house in Stockton-on-Tees, then started his first business with a £450 secondhand ice cream van. Afterwards, Bannatyne moved into B Bs and nursing homes, developing a chain of 30 that he sold for £26m. He put £20m into his fitness club venture and, along the way, made £22m from selling an 80% stake in the Just Learning nursery operation. His empire now includes 40 spas, 60-plus health clubs, four hotels, bars and property. Bannatyne Hotels alone will show a profit of about £500,000 in 2010. In all, his business assets are worth £350m. Private assets, worth £80m, include a villa in the south of France, which costs “knocking on £60,000 a year” to maintain. The 62-year-old father of six is a Unicef ambassador and has an OBE for his charity work. The Bannatyne Charitable Trust supports 27 good causes, including WellChild and Scottish International Relief.