Sir Peter Rigby (born September 29, 1943) is a British Entrepreneur, owner of IT company SCC and one of Britain's richest people.
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Peter Rigby founded Specialist Computer Centres (SCC) in 1975 with an initial cash investment of just £2,000.[1] Rigby has maintained control of the company over 30 years of sustained growth [2] and has seen SCC's turnover rise to £2.038 billion (2005).[3] He claims that if SCC were a public company, turnover would be as much as £14 billion.[1] SCC is now the largest privately owned technology company in Europe.[1]
His two sons, James (UK MD), Steven Rigby (European GM) are both senior directors on the board of SCC, while Sir Peter remains chairman and group CEO.
In April 2010 Sir Peter's Patriot Aviation Group bought Coventry Airport,[4] with a view to moving from freight-only to serving business passengers and helicopters.
Sir Peter also owns the luxury hotel group Eden Hotel Collection, of which Mallory Court in Leamington was named "Most Excellent Hotel in the United Kingdom and Ireland" for 2009 by magazine Condé Nast Johansens.[5]
The Sunday Times Rich List estimates Sir Peter to be worth £430m, based on his corporate investments.[6] This ranks him as the 158th richest person in Britain. While his fortune has been rising over the last few years through the rigorous acquisition of European IT companies, his position on the rich list ladder has gradually slipped from a peak of 61st in 2003.
The Birmingham Post also publishes a rich list, specifically for residents of the West Midlands. Sir Peter is at number 29 for 2010.[7]