Hello sailor!
Michelle Mone’s new love is Scottish billionaire who owns 183ft superyacht (oh and 5 Ferraris and a private jet)
LINGERIE tycoon Michelle Mone has found new love with one of Britain’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, who recently appeared on a TV documentary with his £50million super yacht.
Baroness Mone, who was made a Tory peer and Government business tsar last year, has been romantically linked with Scots billionaire Doug Barrowman after the pair were spotted arm-in-arm last week.
Mr Barrowman, 51, who featured on Channel 4 documentary Million Pound Mega Yachts last year, owns homes around the world and has a car collection which includes five Ferraris.
He appeared on the show with his 183ft super yacht Turquoise – which has a crew of 13, as well as an outdoor cinema, a grand piano in the lounge and hand-made silk carpets.
Originally from Rutherglen, near Glasgow, Mr Barrowman made his fortune in private equity and property development. He relocated from Cheshire in 2008 to the tax haven of the Isle of Man, where he now lives in a £120 million home, which also featured on the Channel 4 show.
News of the romance between the tycoons comes four months after Baroness Mone called time on her relationship with her former partner, golf professional Stefan Soroka. Friends blamed her split from the Barbadosbased golfer on work commitments.
But there is no danger of a repeat situation, as Mr Barrowman, who has been married previously, has a private jet. Last year, as a 50th birthday present to himself, he flew the aircraft from the Isle of Man to Girona for lunch at El Cellar de Can Roca, the world’s best restaurant.
The multi-millionairess peer, dubbed Baroness Bra after being elevated to the House of Lords by David Cameron, sold her lingerie company Ultimo last year and now divides her time between London and travelling the world, speaking to young entrepreneurs.
In October, she joined forces with F1 legend and president of charity UK Youth Nigel Mansell to launch Social Superstore, an online retail venture. It was at the inaugural shareholders’ meeting that she met Mr Barrowman.
Last night, Baroness Mone declined to comment – but friends confirmed the relationship.
One said: ‘Michelle couldn’t be happier. It’s like a fairy tale. She feels as if she has finally met her match in business and in love.’
Mr Barrowman recently described himself in an interview as coming from ‘quite a humble background’, where it was ‘quite hard to get your first toe, never mind your first foot, on the ladder in business life’.
His first entrepreneurial venture was aged 20, setting up paintball sites in Scotland, before spending three years at private equity fund 3i.
Mr Barrowman – who is chairman and founder of the Knox Group, with assets of £1.25 billion – has admitted that the scale of his success can be overwhelming.
Referring to Turquoise, which cost him £50 million to buy and redesign three years ago, he said: ‘It was a dream of mine to own a boat like that and she turns heads wherever she goes.
‘Once we came into Bonifacio, in Corsica, where you have to reverse half a mile down the channel. Turquoise was bigger than the buildings on either side and there were hundreds of people lining the streets to see her coming in. That’s quite surreal seeing that happen.’
Last night, a spokesman for Mr Barrowman declined to comment on his romance with Baroness Mone.