Richard Thompson (businessman)

Richard Charles Thompson (born 31 July 1964) is a British entrepreneur. He entered the business world via his father David in his early twenties. He gained significant early experience in the plc world, notably as the youngest Premiership Chairman of Queens Park Rangers F.C. at age 24. Thompson has been involved in businesses spanning sport, retail, fashion, property and brands.

Thompson was educated at Haileybury until 1982. He thereafter went to work for his father David, who was the majority shareholder of Hillsdown Holdings. In May 1982, David Thompson had acquired businesses from the Imperial Food group, including his old family business, Eastwood Thompson Ltd.

Thompson started working for Eastwood Thompson Ltd in 1982. This company was the Thompsons' family business, the result of a 1969 merger between B Thompson Ltd and JB Eastwood Ltd. B Thompson Ltd was founded in 1952 by his grandfather Bernard Thompson and become publicly traded in 1966.

After a couple of years working in the business, Thompson went to work for Rugby Securities, a property investment company, for one year. In February 1985, David Thompson floated Hillsdown Holdings on the , and Hillsdown soon became a renowned company for the number of acquisitions it made in 1985 and 1986.

In November 1986, at the age of 22, Thompson took control of his first public company, F. Copson, a builders merchant based in Birmingham. He then acquired LCP from Ward White plc in May 1987 for 2 million pounds. He eventually sold his interest in Copson plc in March 1989 to the Ugandan Chatwani brothers.

In May 1987, David Thompson stepped down from Hillsdown Holdings, selling 50% of his shares, becoming a non-executive director of the firm. In April 1989, he sold the remainder of his shares.

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