| Sugar once gave his tip for success: "Don't take on products or services that you want - only what you can sell." For the most part he has stuck to this, building Amstrad into a £1 billion companyat its height. Recently, however, Sugar, 56, has developed a rare blind spot. It is called the emailer, a telephone with e-mail and internet access. Sugar claimed when it was launched three years ago he would sell 1m. But despite halving the price and spending an estimated £2.2m on advertising, sales are below 100,000. The abrasive entrepreneur, who drives a Rolls-Royce with personalised plates, told The Sunday Times last month: "Every analyst and fund manager says what a f***-up I've made with these phones. Well, we are going to bring out another one later this year and I am going to shove it right up their a**** when they realise they have got it so wrong." Whatever the setbacks, Amshold, Sugar's main holding company, is worth £459m, including overseas property. He has invested £40m in the past year in property in central London and sold a Mayfair flat for £7m. His stake in Amstrad is worth only £7m now, mainly thanks to the emailer. Other assets add £150m.
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£596m
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