Irvine Sellar

Irvine Gerald Sellar (3 September 1934[2] – 26 February 2017) was an English fashion retailer, turned property developer. He was the founder of the Sellar Property Group, and the developer of The Shard.

Irvine Sellar
Born
Irvine Gerald Sellar

3 September 1934
UK
Died26 February 2017 (aged 82)
UK
NationalityEnglish
OccupationProperty developer
Net worthGBP£220 million (2015)[1]
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Sellar
Children3, Paul, James, Caroline

Early life

Sellar was born on 9 September 1934 in Essex, England.[3][4][5]

His father was a glove shopkeeper in the East End of London.[6][7] His family was Jewish, and he grew up in Southgate, London. Sellar left school at 16 and studied accounting but decided to start working instead.[5]

The Shard, developed by Sellar.

Career

Sellar started his career as a market trader in Chelmsford. He later opened a shop in St Albans, where he sold suits. He opened a shop on Wardour Street in Soho in 1964.A year later, he opened another shop in Soho, on Carnaby Street.[5] Meanwhile, he founded the first unisex fashion company in the United Kingdom,[5] Mates by Irvine Sellars.[7] The company later became "Britain’s second-biggest fashion chain,"[6] with 90 shops in 1981. That year, he sold it to a South African investor.[7]

Sellar founded Ford Sellar Morris, a property company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company invested in shopping centres in the suburbs, for example in Stockton. Sellar borrowed £111m in 1989 and,[5] because of a property downturn in 1991, the company went bankrupt in 1991-92,[6] when Sellar lost £30 million.[7]

Sellar founded the Sellar Property Group. He acquired the headquarters of PwC in London Bridge in 1998.[6] That year, he acquired the site of what would later become The Shard.[7] With 80% from Qatari investors, Sellar completed the construction of The Shard in 2012. He subsequently developed buildings near Paddington Station.[6]

In December 2016, his plan to develop the 19-storey Paddington Cube for £775 million was approved by the Westminster City Council.[8]

Personal life

With his wife Elizabeth,[7] Sellar had two sons, James, who went on to serve as chairman of the family businessman, and Paul, a playwright, as well as a daughter, Caroline.[5][6]

In 2015, Irvine and James Sellar had an estimated joint wealth of GBP£220 million.[1] Sellar was a black belt in judo, drove a Rolls-Royce and smoked cigars.[5]

Death

Irvine Sellar died on 26 February 2017, aged 82.[6][7]

References
  1. "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times (page 62). 26 April 2015.
  2. Adeney, Martin (7 March 2017). "Irvine Sellar obituary". Retrieved 15 March 2017 – via The Guardian.
  3. Glancey, Jonathan (18 March 2002). "That's nice - but what's it doing there?". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  4. "Irvine Gerald SELLAR". Companies House. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  5. "Irvine Sellar: Tenacious property developer who made a fortune with Britain's first unisex fashion chain and later masterminded the Shard". The Times. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  6. Evans, Judith (27 February 2017). "London Shard developer Irvine Sellar dies at 82". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  7. Bury, Rhiannon (27 February 2017). "Shard developer Irvine Sellar dies aged 82". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  8. Sleigh, Sophia (7 December 2016). "Renzo Piano's £775m 'Cube' building given green light to transform 'tatty' Paddington". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
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