is the elder son of a Barnsley miner who has become a multi-millionaire through a range of different businesses. He left school at 15 and worked at a number of jobs before becoming a tyre fitter – ‘the best job I ever had’. Encouraged by friends who were doing something similar he began to break down old buses for scrap in his spare time. Tidy and meticulous, seeking out markets for every part, Sykes soon had a thriving business. His engines were shipped out to the Far East to power junks. Some years later he moved in to property development, opening the first multi-screen cinema in Salford Quays (Manchester) before leading the development of the Meadowhall Shopping Centre on the edge of Sheffield. He partnered Eddie Healey. Internet business Planet Online followed, where he partnered another successful entrepreneur, Peter Wilkinson. More recently Paul Sykes has become an active champion of Britain’s independence – he is fiercely opposed to British membership of the Euro and the proposed new European Constitution.
Who creates the wealth
If we’re talking about wealth creation, job creation, then I suggest the sharp end of that does not come from accountants and lawyers and architects. We need them, they’re desperately needed, but they shouldn’t be at the sharp end of the boat. They should be on the rear end. The front end should be people who actually create wealth by making things, exporting things, coming up with ideas, dealing, putting things together that accountants can count about, but can’t actually work out how it’s done. Neither can some people that do it.
s the elder son of a Barnsley miner who has become a multi-millionaire through a range of different businesses. He left school at 15 and worked at a number of jobs before becoming a tyre fitter – ‘the best job I ever had’. Encouraged by friends who were doing something similar he began to break down old buses for scrap in his spare time. Tidy and meticulous, seeking out markets for every part, Sykes soon had a thriving business. His engines were shipped out to the Far East to power junks. Some years later he moved in to property development, opening the first multi-screen cinema in Salford Quays (Manchester) before leading the development of the Meadowhall Shopping Centre on the edge of Sheffield. He partnered Eddie Healey. Internet business Planet Online followed, where he partnered another successful entrepreneur, Peter Wilkinson. More recently Paul Sykes has become an active champion of Britain’s independence – he is fiercely opposed to British membership of the Euro and the proposed new European Constitution.
