Bill Cullen (businessman)
| Bill Cullen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
17 February 1942 Summerhill, Dublin, Ireland |
| Residence | County Kildare, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Chairman of Bill Cullen Motor Group |
| Net worth |
 €34 million (2010) |
| Partner(s) | Jackie Lavin |
| Website | http://www.billcullen.ie |
William 'Bill' Cullen (born 17 February 1942) is an Irish businessman, philanthropist, reality television star and media personality.
With his charming profile, Cullen is regularly seen on RTÉ programmes such as The Late Late Show and The Frontline. Cullen was the owner of the Renault Ireland franchise until it was taken under more direct control by Renault in 2007. His 2002 best-selling autobiography, It's a Long Way from Penny Apples, covered his life growing up as a poor child in inner-city Dublin. Between 2008 and 2012, he hosted the Irish reality television series The Apprentice. His motor-trade business was put into receivership in October 2012.
Born into poverty in the Summerhill area of Dublin in the 1940s, Bill Cullen was the fifth of fourteen children, seven boys and seven girls. Cullen was born in a caul (the membrane surrounding the amniotic fluid) which is considered a good luck omen within Irish folklore. His mother, Mary Darcy Cullen was a fruit seller and Cullen started trading at market stalls from a very young age. His father Billy was in the Irish Army Reserve and was for the most part unemployed, or working on the dock and getting labour that was not much for the Cullen family.
He finished his education with the Christian Brothers at the age of thirteen to work on the markets full-time, selling fruit, vegetables and other items. In 1956 he worked as a messenger boy at Walden's Ford Dealership and was appointed director general of the company in 1965. He went on to set up the Fairlane Motor Company in Tallaght in 1977 which he developed into the biggest Ford dealership in Ireland by 1981. In 1986, he took over the franchise for Renault car distribution from Waterford Crystal. The initial purchase price of the operation was £1, however the deal entailed taking on a debt burden of £18 million. This company became known as the Glencullen Group and the Renault distribution arm became known as Glencullen Distributors. Turnover of the business grew to €350 Million at its peak, but fell to €4 million loss in 2006, an €18.6 million loss in 2007, and a further loss of €8.2 million in 2008. In April 2006 he was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by decree of the President of the French Republic for both his work with Renault Ireland and for his humanitarian efforts.
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