Joseph C. Lewis was born on 5 February 1937, in Bow, London, England, of Jewish descent. He is a British businessman, investor and art collector, and known as one of the richest people in the UK.
A noted entrepreneur, how wealthy is Joe Lewis? Sources state that Lewis has accumulated a net worth of over $4.8 billion, as of mid-2017. His assets include a home in Lyford Cay, Bahamas called Lewis House, a mansion in Florida, as well as a property in Argentina. He also owns a 223 ft motor yacht called Aviva, containing a cinema, gymnasium and private jet. Lewis’ $1 billion art collection includes works by Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Lucian Freud and Henry Moore, as well as Francis Bacon’s painting Triptych 1974–1977 which he purchased for $34.1 million. His wealth has been established through his involvement in the foreign exchange market, and his numerous business investments and deals.
Joe Lewis Net Worth $4.8 billion
Lewis grew up in London; he dropped out of school when he was 15 years old, becoming involved in his father’s catering business – Tavistock Banqueting. Taking over the company, he built a restaurant chain and a string of tourist shops, and began to sell various goods to American tourists, but soon delving into the foreign exchange markets. He eventually sold the business in the late ’70s, becoming a multimillionaire, and went on to enter the foreign exchange dealing and stock market investing full-time, through which he would establish enormous wealth. In 1992 Lewis, along with the famous investor-businessman George Soros, participated in an event called Black Wednesday, betting that the English pound was overvalued against other European currencies, and that it would fall in value; it did, and Lewis amassed a significant fortune. Three years later he did the same with the Mexican peso. Both contributed significantly to his net worth.
Meanwhile, after selling his business, he moved to the Bahamas and founded a private investment company called Tavistock Group. Over the years, the company has achieved huge international success, and today it controls around 200 companies in 15 countries, spanning real estate, restaurants and hospitality, sports, retail, life sciences, agriculture, energy and finance sectors. Its specific interests include various luxury real estate developments, such as the Bahamas Albany Resort Community on New Providence Island, Isleworth and Lake Nona communities in Orlando, Florida, Harmony Cove resort in Jamaica and St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead, Atlanta, as well as master-planned communities such as Lake Nona and Lake Nona Medical City in Orlando, Florida. It also controls restaurant chains such as Freebirds World Burrito, Napa Grille, the Alcatraz Brewing Co. and Mitchells & Butlers plc. Lewis’ company has been the owner of the London Premiere League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur and several other European soccer teams. As for manufacturing, it has distribution rights to major brands such as Puma, Vans, Supra, Gottex, Freddo and Condici. The company also invests in early-stage bioscience and biotech startups, and in various oil, gas, energy and agriculture companies. Being involved in all these industries has made Tavistock a company of enormous success and profit, enabling Lewis to establish an astonishing net worth.
When it comes to his personal life, Lewis has been married two times, firstly to Esther Browne, with whom he has two children. He later married his former assistant, Jane.
The businessman has been involved in philanthropy too, having set up a foundation in Orlando, which is focused on helping to combat cancer.
