One of seven children, Dragons' Den star Duncan Banantyne's is a classic rags-to-riches story. He grew up on a tough Glasgow estate and walked miles to school every day, before leaving at 15 to join the navy, only to be discharged after serving time in a military detention centre for threatening to throw an officer overboard.

Doing a series of dead-end jobs, he saved enough for a deposit on a house in Stockton-on-Tees, then started his first business with a $730 second-hand ice cream van. Afterwards, Bannatyne moved into B&Bs and nursing homes, developing a chain of 30 that he sold for $42 million. He put $32 million into his fitness club venture and, along the way, made $36 million from selling an 80% stake in the Just Learning nursery operation.

His empire now includes 40 spas, 60-plus health clubs, four hotels, bars and property. In all, his business assets are worth $567 million. Private assets, worth $130 million, include a villa in the south of France, which costs “knocking on $97,000 a year" to maintain.

The 62-year-old father of six is a Unicef ambassador and has an OBE for his charity work. The Bannatyne Charitable Trust supports 27 good causes, including WellChild and Scottish International Relief.

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