John Whittaker Biography
John Whittaker is a billionaire from the United Kingdom. He is the chairman of the Peel Group, a property company based in North West England. Although he avoids publicity, the Manchester Evening News named him one of the most influential business leaders in Greater Manchester and the North West, and The Big Issue magazine named him the most influential northerner in 2010.
How old is John Whittaker? – Age
He is 80 years old as of 14 March 2022. He was born in 1942 in Bury, United Kingdom.
John Whittaker Family – Education
Whittaker was born in Bury, Lancashire, to parents John and May Whittaker. Prior to Park College, a Catholic boarding school in Bath, Somerset, educated him, and he considered becoming a priest before joining the family business.
How many kids did the Whitakers have? – Wife – Children
He together with his wife Patricia Whittaker has four children; James Whittaker, Kate Holland, Mark Whittaker, and John Whittaker.
John Whittaker interview
Whittaker has been described as a publicity-averse businessman who avoids interviews. Insiders saw Whittaker as “formidable opposition” and a “very astute, very clever, and a very good businessman” when Simon Property Group attempted to buy the Trafford Centre in 2010. One example of his astute business sense was convincing the BBC to reject three other locations in Manchester in order to relocate to MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. The presence of the BBC would then act as a magnet to attract indie production companies to Salford, and the Peel Group would profit from the development’s rent and lease agreements.
John Whittaker The Peel Group
In the 1980s, he fought a protracted battle to acquire the Manchester Ship Canal Company, from which the Trafford Centre arose. In January 2011, Whittaker’s Peel Group sold the 1.5 million square foot Trafford Centre to Capital Shopping Centres (now Intu Properties). Under the terms of the agreement, his company, Peel, received £636 million in CSC stock and was appointed deputy chairman of the company’s board. Whittaker stepped down as deputy chairman in July 2020, following the company’s administration. His fortune more than doubled from £1.01 billion to £2.07 billion in 2010, owing primarily to the £1.65 billion sale of the Trafford Centre.
Peel Group launched the Ocean Gateway project in 2013, with the goal of transforming 50 miles of industrial land between the Port of Liverpool and Salford Docks into a £50 billion redevelopment known as “Ocean Gateway.” Whittaker envisioned the Manchester development as a Chinese business hub. In 2010, he accompanied the Prime Minister on a trade mission to Beijing.
Whittaker is worth £1.95 billion in 2019, according to The Sunday Times Rich List, a £300 million decrease from 2018. The Sunday Times reported in June 2019 that Peel was selling stakes in Peel Ports and Liverpool Airport to cover losses at Intu Properties, whof ich Peel Group owned 27.3% of.
John Whittaker’s Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of £1.95 billion, a decrease of £300 million from 2018.