Adrian Swire
{{Short description|British heir and businessman (1932–2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| image_size =
| honorific_prefix = Sir
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|AE|DL}}
| name = Adrian Swire
| caption =
| birth_name = Adrian Christopher Swire
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|2|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Marylebone, London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|08|24|1932|2|15|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
| education = Wellesley House School
Eton College
| alma mater = University College, Oxford
| occupation =
| known for =
| spouse = Lady Judith Compton
| parents = John Kidston Swire
| children = Merlin Swire
Samuel Swire
Martha Swire
| relatives = John Samuel Swire (great-grandfather)
John Anthony Swire (brother)
Barnaby Swire (nephew)
| website =
}}
Sir Adrian Christopher Swire {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|AE|DL}} (15 February 1932 – 24 August 2018) was a billionaire British heir and businessman. He was the former chairman of John Swire & Sons Ltd. In April 2015, the Swire family's net worth was estimated at £2.4 billion.{{cite news|title=Sunday Times Rich List|work=The Sunday Times|issue=24|date=26 April 2015}}
Early life
Adrian Swire was born on 15 February 1932, grew up at Hubbards Hall near Harlow, and was educated at Wellesley House School, Eton and University College, Oxford.{{cite web|title=Adrian Christopher SWIRE |url=http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/3919/Adrian-Christopher-SWIRE |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150426125017/http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/3919/Adrian-Christopher-SWIRE |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 April 2015 |website=Debrett's |accessdate=26 April 2015 }} During his national service, he served in the Coldstream Guards.
Career
Swire started his career for a subsidiary of the family business, Butterfield & Swire Far East, in 1956 before returning to run the London operations office in 1961. He was president of the General Council of British Shipping from 1980 to 1981.
He was the chairman of John Swire & Sons from 1987 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2004. He was on the board of directors of Cathay Pacific, an airline partially owned by the family business, from 1965 to 2005.
Honours
Swire was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1982 New Year Honours.
Personal life
He was married to Lady Judith Compton, the daughter of William Bingham Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton. They had three children, Martha, Merlin and Samuel.{{cite news |title=Sir Adrian Swire, leading figure in Swire trading empire and keen airman – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/08/30/sir-adrian-swire-leading-figure-swire-trading-empire-keen-airman/ |newspaper=The Telegraph|date=2018-08-30 }} The family lived at Sparsholt Manor, near Wantage.{{cite web |title=The thirty landowners who own half a county |url=https://whoownsengland.org/2017/04/17/the-thirty-landowners-who-own-half-a-county/ |website=Who owns England?|date=2017-04-17 }}
He was a keen amateur pilot, serving as a member of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. From 1995 to 2004, he was Pro-Chancellor of Southampton University.
He was a member of White's, Brooks's, Pratt's and the Hong Kong Club.
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:20th-century British businesspeople
Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford
Category:British corporate directors
Category:British people of English descent
Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods
Category:Deputy lieutenants of Oxfordshire
Category:Hong Kong emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:People educated at Eton College
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