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Paul Gregg

Paul Gregg
Born 1941 (age 75–76)
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Nationality British
Occupation Businessman and entertainment impresario
Known for Creating Apollo Leisure Group

Paul Gregg (born 1941 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire) is an English multi-millionaire businessman and entertainment impresario, who built Apollo Leisure Group into the UK's biggest theatre owner and largest independent family run cinema chain in the United Kingdom

After selling Apollo to SFX Group in 1999, and leaving new owners Clear Channel, he was a large stake holder in Everton F.C., before falling out with former friend Bill Kenwright in 2004, and selling his stake in October 2006 to Robert Earl.

Paul Gregg's early career was in ABC cinema followed by a managing a Social Club at Cowley at the huge British Leyland site. Moving up north to Southport, Paul Gregg became the Director of Tourism and Attractions for Southport. During his time working for Sefton Council, the Southport Theatre Complex was built adjacent to the Floral Hall venue. This provided the town with 2 venues that went on to host some huge stars performing that had never before been seen in Southport. Following his departure from Sefton and a brief post with the Prince of Wales Hotel group, an opportunity came in 1977, aged 36, to purchase the Ardwick Theatre in Manchester – soon followed by the New Theatre in Oxford – and so Apollo Leisure had lift off, and gradually over the following years Apollo became the biggest theatre owners/management team in the United Kingdom.

Paul Gregg built their empire by taking over struggling venues and turning them round. The Liverpool Empire Theatre, which was losing £750,000 a year under the Derek Hatton led council, was leased to become a home to big musicals. Gregg also reopened the Lyceum in London in the 1990s at a cost of £14 million, after the theatre had been closed for 10 years. Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" ran for two years, followed by Disney's "The Lion King". On 28 September 1982 in association with friend Bill Kenwright, Gregg co-produced a production of "The Mikado" at the Cambridge Theatre, London.


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