Award winning business tycoon Paul Gregg founded the Apollo Leisure Group, and went on to become the boss of a business that included iconic venues such as London’s Lyceum and Dominion theatres.

The multi-millionaire was also a part-owner of Everton football club from 2000-2006. 

From humble beginnings, Gregg grew up in council houses in Scarborough and Hull.

His father was a corporal in the Green Howards and his mother tragically died of renal failure aged 42. 

Gregg said his parents ‘instilled a determination’ in him, ‘to be the best at whatever I did, be it a binman or postman.’

He said he’s had a few ‘pickles’ over the years, but the biggest financial fumble he made was with selling the Apollo Leisure Group.

‘My biggest payday came after Nita and I sold the Apollo Leisure Group to the US giant SFX for more than £150million in 1999,’ he said.

‘I now view that as my worst ever business decision – if we’d hung on to all our assets for a decade the company would have been valued at around half a billion pounds,’ he told This is Money.

But his best money decision was buying the Apollo Manchester in 1977, he shared.

‘The money poured in and enabled us to buy a string of other venues such as the Hammersmith Apollo,’ he said.

‘Earlier on, booking Morecambe and Wise – who insisted on separate dressing rooms – to appear at Southport Theatre in the mid-’70s. 

‘They may have demanded 95% of the box office takings, but I learnt that if you spend big on talent you usually recoup the money. ‘

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