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Sean Quinn and family

Quinn, 60, does not know how to stand still. The entrepreneur and his family are now worth £3,050m. Last year, it was £2,000m. Ten years ago, just £130m. This year, courtesy of shrewd investment, Quinn has climbed from joint 18th in the UK Rich List to 12th equal. Next year? Who knows. The Quinn Group, which is 100% owned by the family, is considered the largest and most profitable private company in Ireland. The multinational’s 2006 profit before tax was a massive £264m on sales of £1 billion. It employs more than 6,500 people in Europe and has a “mission of ongoing diversification”. Quinn has said he likes to invest in businesses that grow about 30% a year, a strategy that is paying dividends. His interests range from financial services including insurance, pensions and savings, to the manufacture of construction products, glass, radiators, packaging and plastics, alongside hotels, a fitness club and pubs. Not bad for a man who left school at 15 and started in 1973 with a £200 loan, used to extract gravel from his family’s 23-acre dairy farm, which was sold to builders. The centrepiece of his hospitality business, which has interests in Britain and eastern Europe, is the Slieve Russell hotel in Ballyconnell, the Co Cavan town where he lives. His financial services arm, also based in Cavan, is challenging the established insurers, particularly through Quinn-direct, which shows strong profits. This year the group bought Bupa Ireland’s customer base in a £100m deal and the family raised its stake in Anglo Irish Bank to 5%, equivalent to £368m. Quinn owns a jet and a helicopter but cannot be accused of expensive tastes. He is committed to the Gaelic Athletic Association and enjoys walking his dogs, a drink in a Ballyconnell pub and card games. He is married to Patricia and has five children, Sean Jr, Colette, Ciara, Aoife and Brenda — several of whom work in the business. His brother Peter is a part-time director. Quinn has given much of the company to his children, who hold assets outside its main structure.