Tony Pidgley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Pidgley
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| Born |
Anthony William Pidgley
6 August 1947 Surrey, United Kingdom
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| Died | 26 June 2020 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Anthony William Pidgley (born August 6, 1947 – died June 26, 2020) was a successful English businessman. He started a company called Berkeley Group Holdings. This company grew to become one of the biggest house-building businesses in the United Kingdom. He was also given a special award called a CBE, which stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Contents
Tony Pidgley's Story
Early Life and Business
Tony Pidgley was born in Surrey, England, in 1947. He was adopted from Barnardos, a charity that helps children. When he was very young, he lived in an old railway carriage. He worked with his parents, cutting down trees and selling the wood.
In 1962, when he was just 15 years old, Tony left home. He started his own business that moved goods using lorries (trucks). His business grew to have 40 lorries! In 1968, he sold this business to another company called Crest Nicholson. He then worked for Crest Nicholson for seven years.
Building Homes
In 1976, Tony Pidgley decided to start a new company. He founded Berkeley Group Holdings. This company built many homes and became one of the largest house-building businesses in the UK. Berkeley Group is known for building high-quality, executive-style homes.
Tony Pidgley was a very important person in the company. In 2016, reports showed that he was one of the highest-paid leaders of companies listed on the FTSE 100. The FTSE 100 is a list of the 100 biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange.
Awards and Recognition
Tony Pidgley received an important award in 2013. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award is given by the King or Queen of the United Kingdom to people who have made a big difference in their field.
Also in 2013, he was given an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University. An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone to celebrate their achievements, even if they didn't study at that university.
Personal Life
Tony Pidgley was married twice. His most recent wife was Sarah Hill. He had two children from each marriage. They lived in a large, old house from the 1500s in Windsor. The house was set on a big piece of land, about 100 acres (which is about 0.4 square kilometers).
Tony Pidgley also supported the Conservative Party, a political party in the UK, by donating money to them. He passed away on June 26, 2020, after having a stroke.
