SIR JAMES DYSON is one of Britain’s most successful inventors, and is revered for revolutionising the vacuum cleaning industry.
The Brit businessman is regularly named amongst the richest people in the UK, thanks to his uber-successful Dyson ventures and impressive property portfolio.
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Who is Sir James Dyson?
James Dyson was born in Norfolk on May 2, 1947, to parents Janet and Alec.
He attended art school before developing his best known product – the bagless cleaner- after he grew frustrated at the loss of suction of his household vacuum when it sucked up dirt.
In 1983 he developed the G-Force cleaner using cyclonic separation technology already used in saw mills.
The product was not an instant success in the UK as major manufacturers were worried it would be kill the lucrative cleaner bag market, which was worth £100million a year in Britain at the time.
As a result, Dyson took his product to Japan, where it was a huge success.
Dyson was able to secure a lucrative patent for his vacuum technology in the mid-80s and, in the 1990s, the businessman was able to set up his own manufacturing company in the UK – putting him in direct competition with the major brands who had rejected the G-Force.
The Dyson Dual Cyclone product became the UK’s fastest ever selling vacuum cleaner and in 2002, Dyson launched his innovative cleaners in the United States.
Dyson’s other inventions include the Dyson Airblade, which revolutionised hand dryers, and a bladeless fan named the Air Multiplier.
In 2023 the company unveiled Dyson Zone, a wearable headset that doubles up as a pair of Bluetooth over-ear headphones and an air filter mask.
James Dyson became Sir James when he was knighted in 2007.
What is Sir James Dyson’s net worth?
In May 2023 Dyson was named the richest person in the West Country by the Sunday Times Rich List.
His estimated net worth was revealed to be a whopping £23 billion, making him the fifth wealthiest person in the country.
Sir James is no stranger to the Sunday Times Rich List and back in 2020 he topped the list for the first time.
At the time, it was reported that the Brexit–backing entrepreneur’s wealth had grown by £3.6billion between 2019 and 2020, climbing to £16.2bn.
Dyson boasts an impressive property portfolio, includes a $74million 9,138-square-foot Park Avenue penthouse in New York City.
What happened to the Dyson electric car?
In 2017 Dyson revealed plans to build electric cars by 2021, in a bid to rival Elon Musk‘s Tesla.
Despite a £2bn investment, the project failed.
The plug was pulled on the project in 2019 after Dyson failed to find a buyer, with the inventor saying the venture was no longer “commercially viable.”
