Media mogul: The fear that drove me to reach the top
Richard Desmond with Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, last night EXPRESS newspapers owner Richard Desmond told last night how fear of ending up sleeping on a park bench drove him to become one of Britain’s richest men.
In an extraordinarily candid interview in front of a live audience the media mogul insisted he is still motivated to carry on working – to help raise money for others and stand up for fair play.
Mr Desmond is the founder and owner of Northern & Shell, publishers of the Express Newspapers group as well as the celebrity magazines OK!, New! and Star.
Among his business successes was turning around Channel 5 after he bought the broadcaster in 2010 before going on to sell it for a big profit.
Fear
Mr Desmond, 63, was asked by interviewer Stephen Pollard about a line in his autobiography speaking of a fear that “it could all disappear” and he could end up “sleeping on a park bench”. Mr Desmond replied: “Of course.”
He told how he was determined to carry on his charity work including The Health Lottery which he was determined to pursue despite opposition from the National Lottery.
Mr Desmond said: “To be honest with you I was quite comfortable up until Channel 5. After Channel 5 I’m very, very comfortable. I’m almost satisfied.
“What drives me? Let’s take The Health Lottery. The Health Lottery was set up so we could give away £ 50 million a year to local health causes.
“I’ve helped over 35,000 charities in the three years we’ve been going. We’ve given away now close to £ 100 million. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it’s costing me a fortune.”
He dubbed National Lottery operator Camelot “the baddies” for trying to shut the venture down. Mr Desmond said: “That is unfair and we don’t like unfair. That is the key thing now to get the sales up so that we can give more money back.”
He spoke proudly of becoming a grandfather and a father in the same year after his Cambridge graduate son Robert, 26, recently had a baby this year after his wife Joy gave birth to her second child. “I became a grandfather and a father in the same year,” he said. “Who would believe it?”
Mr Desmond was at a special event at the JW3 Jewish Community Centre in Swiss Cottage, London. He was interviewed on stage by Jewish Chronicle editor Mr Pollard.
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