Richard Desmond

$1.96 B

Ranked #2076 in World

About Richard Desmond

Richard Clive Desmond, renowned as a British publisher and businessman with a past in pornography, founded Northern & Shell, influencing media through The Health Lottery and various pornographic and celebrity publications. Born in London to a Jewish family, Desmond's early adversity fueled a prolific career, starting from classified ads to owning significant media assets including Channel 5 and Express Newspapers. His entrepreneurial journey expanded from music magazines to launching OK! magazine, making it a global phenomenon. Despite controversies, including a 2020 housing development pressure scandal, Desmond's diverse ventures from publishing to charity, underscore a complex legacy. His political contributions and personal life, including two marriages and his autobiography, "The Real Deal," round out the portrait of Britain's contentious media figure.

Born

December 08, 1951 in Hampstead, London, England

Age

74 years

Source Of Wealth

Publishing

Industries

Media & Entertainment

Citizenship

United Kingdom

Residence

London

Spouse

Janet Robertson (Married: 1983; Divorced: 2010), Joy Canfield (Married: 2012)

Children

Richard Clive Desmond was born on March 14, 1951, in Hampstead, London, into a Jewish family. His father, Max Desmond, was descended from Latvian Jews, while his mother, Pearl, was of Ukrainian-Jewish descent. Max Desmond lost a significant amount of family money to gambling, leading to Richard's parents' divorce.

Richard attended Edgware Junior School and Christ's College, Finchley, before leaving school at the age of 15 to start working.

Richard Desmond: Family

Richard Desmond was married to Janet Robertson for 27 years, from 1983 to 2010. They had one son together, Robert. In 2012, Desmond married Joy Canfield, a former manager for British Airways. They have two children together, daughter Angel Millie (born 2011) and son Valentine (born 2015).

Richard Desmond: Career Highlights

Founded International Musician and Recording World, a monthly magazine for musicians.
Established Northern & Shell, a publisher known for running The Health Lottery and for having owned a variety of pornographic titles and celebrity magazines.
Acquired Express Newspapers, including the Daily and Sunday Express titles, the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday, and the Irish Daily Star.
Purchased Channel 5 from RTL Group and increased its revenue.
Launched the Health Lottery, with around 20% of turnover going to charity.

Richard Desmond: Companies

Northern & Shell
Express Newspapers
Channel 5
The Health Lottery

Richard Desmond: Major Achievements

OK! magazine became the largest weekly magazine in the world, with 23 separate editions and a readership of over 31 million.
Increased Channel 5's revenue by 28% in the first full year of ownership.
Launched the Health Lottery, which has raised millions of pounds for charity.

Richard Desmond: Awards & Achievements

Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of East London (2006)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to the media industry.

Richard Desmond: Personal Life & Legacy

Richard Desmond is known for his flamboyant lifestyle and his outspoken views.

He has been involved in a number of controversies, including a feud with Viscount Rothermere, publisher of the Daily Mail, and accusations of pressuring the Secretary of State for Housing to overrule the Planning Inspectorate and approve a housing development for his company.

Desmond has also been active in philanthropy, supporting various charitable causes and organizations. He is the president of the UK Jewish charity Norwood and has donated millions of pounds to various charities, including Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Richard Desmond: Trivia

Richard Desmond is a keen drummer and has played in a rock group called the RD Crusaders to raise money for charity.
He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Desmond's autobiography, "The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul," was published in 2015.

Wealth History

Timeline

1964

Richard Desmond is born in Hampstead, London, into a Jewish family.

1979

Desmond leaves school at 15 and starts working in the classified advertisements section of the Thomson Group.

1982

Northern & Shell begins publication of the UK edition of Penthouse.

1988

Desmond sells his premium rate phone sex company.

1993

Northern & Shell begins publication of the celebrity OK! magazine as a monthly.

1995

Desmond launches The Fantasy Channel, one of the first pornographic channels available on satellite television in the UK.

1996

OK! becomes a weekly magazine.

2000

Desmond acquires Express Newspapers from United News & Media for £125 million.

2004

Desmond sells the pornographic magazine business to Remnant Media for approximately £10 million.

2006

Desmond becomes president of the UK Jewish charity Norwood.

2010

Desmond buys Channel 5 from RTL Group for £103.5 million.

2011

Desmond launches the Health Lottery.

2012

Desmond marries Joy Canfield, a former manager for British Airways.

2014

Desmond donates £300,000 to the UK Independence Party and sells Channel 5 to Viacom for £463m.

2015

Desmond gives an additional £1 million to the UK Independence Party and publishes an autobiography, "The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul."

Richard Desmond : FAQs

What is Richard Desmond's current net worth?

Richard Desmond's current net worth is $1.96 billion.

What is Richard Desmond's current global rank among billionaires?

Richard Desmond holds the 2076th position globally among billionaires.

What is Richard Desmond's current ranking within the United Kingdom?

Richard Desmond holds the 41st position in United Kingdom.

What was the change in Richard Desmond's net worth compared to the previous year?

Richard Desmond's net worth increased by 646.14 million dollars compared to the previous year 2025, when his net worth was 1.31 billion dollars.

What are Richard Desmond's main sources of wealth?

Richard Desmond's main source of income comes from Publishing.

In which industry does Richard Desmond primarily operate?

Richard Desmond is primarily involved in the Media & Entertainment industry.

How old is Richard Desmond?

Richard Desmond is 74 years old.

How many children does Richard Desmond have?

Richard Desmond has 3 children.

Who is Richard Clive Desmond and what is Northern & Shell?

Richard Clive Desmond is a British publisher and businessman known for founding Northern & Shell, a publishing company that ran The Health Lottery and owned various pornographic and celebrity magazine titles, as well as formerly owning Channel 5 and Express Newspapers.

What controversies has Richard Desmond been involved in during his career?

Richard Desmond faced controversy in 2020 for pressuring the Secretary of State for Housing to overrule the Planning Inspectorate and approve a housing development for his company. Additionally, his newspapers have been criticized for their coverage of various topics.

How did Richard Desmond start his publishing career?

Desmond started his publishing career by working in the classified advertisements section of the Thomson Group at age 15, becoming the advertising manager for Beat Publications, and eventually founding the magazine International Musician and Recording World with Ray Hammond.

What significant business move did Richard Desmond make with Channel 5?

Richard Desmond bought Channel 5 from RTL Group for £103.5 million in 2010, implemented cost-cutting measures and increased the programming budget, which helped increase revenue by 28% in the first full year of his ownership, and sold it to Viacom for £463m in 2014.

What is The Health Lottery and why has it been criticized?

The Health Lottery, launched by Richard Desmond in October 2011, is a lottery system that allocates about 20% of its turnover to charity. It has been criticized for returning a lower percentage of proceeds to charity compared to the National Lottery.