Bill Adderley
{{short description|British billionaire businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Sir Bill Adderley
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = William Adderley
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1948|2}}
| birth_place = Leeds, Yorkshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| known_for = Founder of the Dunelm Group home furnishings retailer
| occupation = Businessman
| education =
| spouse = Jean Adderley
| children = 2
}}
William Adderley (born February 1948) is a British businessman and founder of the FTSE 250-listed Dunelm Group home furnishings retailer.
Early life
Adderley was born on a council estate in February 1948{{cite web|title=Dunelm Group plc|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04708277/officers|website=Companies House|accessdate=10 August 2015}} in Leeds, Yorkshire.{{cite news |last1=Griffin |first1=I |title=Dunelm's founding family sees wealth soar by £100m |url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Dunelm-s-founding-family-sees-wealth-soar-100m/story-21085564-detail/story.html |accessdate=31 December 2014 |work=Leicester Mercury |date=12 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231133617/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Dunelm-s-founding-family-sees-wealth-soar-100m/story-21085564-detail/story.html |archive-date=31 December 2014 |url-status = dead}} Adderley left school at 16, with a basic education level. He was a boyhood fan of Leeds United.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
Career
Adderley was a manager at a Woolworths store{{cite news|last1=Goodley|first1=Simon|title=Bill Adderley unmasked as Marks & Spencer's biggest private shareholder|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/bill-adderley-marks-and-spencer-biggest-private-shareholder|accessdate=31 December 2014|work=The Guardian|date=31 October 2013}} in Coalville, but left in 1979 after the company wanted him to relocate to its Skegness store.
In 1979, while looking for a new job, Adderley and his wife, Jean, sold curtains which had been rejected by Marks and Spencer from a stall on Leicester market. In 1984, they opened their first home furnishings store, calling it Dunelm Mill.{{cite web|title=Bill Adderley|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/bill-adderley/|website=Forbes|accessdate=31 December 2014}} He retired from Dunelm at the age of 58 in 2006 and left the growth of the company in the hands of his son, Sir William (“Will”) Adderley, and it was at this time the company floated.
In October 2013, The Guardian commented that Adderley had become the largest private shareholder in Marks & Spencer, having built a stake valued at £250 million.{{Cite web|date=2013-10-31|title=Bill Adderley unmasked as Marks & Spencer's biggest private shareholder|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/bill-adderley-marks-and-spencer-biggest-private-shareholder|access-date=2021-09-10|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
Adderley sold most of his stake in Marks & Spencer and bought a stake in Morrisons in 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityam.com/216817/dunelm-founder-sells-majority-his-stake-marks-spencer|title=Dunelm founder sells majority of stake in M&S|first=Kasmira|last=Jefford|date=1 June 2015|website=cityam.com|accessdate=8 August 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/homeware-stores-tycoon-takes-stake-in-morrisons-1-7132325|title=Homeware stores tycoon 'takes stake in Morrisons'|author=|date=|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk|accessdate=8 August 2017}}
Currently, Dunelm operates in 180 stores across the UK and runs an ecommerce business.{{cite web |title=Forbes profile: Bill and Jean Adderley & family |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/bill-adderley/ |website=Forbes |access-date=15 July 2021}} The Adderley family still owns approximately 43% of the shares.
Wealth
In 2022, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated his net worth at £1.78 billion.{{cite news |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/dunelm-owners-lose-9-million-7101781 |title=Dunelm owners lose £9 million as Sunday Times Rich List reveals top spot for Leicestershire |last=Mack |first=Tom |publisher=Leicester Mercury |date=20 May 2022 |accessdate=14 January 2023}}
Personal life
He and his wife Jean have two children: Will is a director and deputy chairman of Dunelm Group plc,{{cite news|last1=Nazir|first1=Sahar|title=Dunelm deputy chair Will Adderley to sell £210m stake|url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/02/dunelm-deputy-chair-will-adderley-to-sell-210m-stake/|accessdate=22 June 2022|work=Retail Gazette|date=16 February 2021}} while Jonathan, is not actively involved in the business.{{cite news|last1=Gray|first1=Charles|title=How Leeds born Bill Adderley went from living on a council estate to becoming one of the richest people in the country|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/how-leeds-born-bill-adderley-20660135|accessdate=22 June 2022|work=Leeds Live|date=24 May 2021}}