Richard Desmond was born on December 8th, 1951

Written by: Victor Malone

Richard Desmond: The British Publisher and Businessman with a Controversial Past

Richard Clive Desmond, born on December 8, 1951, is a British publisher, businessman, and former pornographer, known for founding Northern Shell, a publishing company that owns The Health Lottery, celebrity magazines OK! and New!, and Express Newspapers. He has made a name for himself in the media industry, but his career has been marred by controversy and public scrutiny.

Early Life and Education

Desmond was born into a Jewish family in Hampstead, London, and raised in Edgware, north west London. His father, Cyril, was of Latvian Jewish descent, and his mother, Millie, was of Ukrainian Jewish descent. Desmond's early life was marked by poverty and hardship, with his father's gambling addiction leading to the loss of family money and his parents' divorce.

• Desmond moved with his mother to a flat above a garage, where he experienced an impoverished adolescence, which he has described as a time of loneliness and obesity.
• Despite these challenges, Desmond was educated at Edgware Junior School and Christs College, Finchley.

Career Highlights and Major Works

Desmond left school at 15 and started working in the classified advertisements section of the Thomson Group, while playing the drums at gigs. His early career was marked by a series of publishing ventures, including:

• Founding Northern Shell, a publishing company that owns The Health Lottery, celebrity magazines OK! and New!, and Express Newspapers.
• Owning a variety of pornographic titles, including Portland, a pornographic television network.
• Purchasing Britains Channel 5 in 2005.

Controversies and Public Perception

Desmond's career has been marked by controversy, including:

• A high-profile dispute with then-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, over a housing development project, which saved Desmond's company £40 million but was later overturned.
• Accusations of using his media outlets to promote his own business interests.
• Criticism for his involvement in the porn industry and its objectification of women.

Personal Milestones and Key Life Events

Desmond's personal life has been marked by significant events, including:

• His parents' divorce, which led to his mother moving to a flat above a garage, where he experienced poverty and hardship.
• His father's hearing loss, which Desmond has described as a pivotal moment in his early life, as he was forced to act as his father's "ears" in business meetings.

Net Worth and Financial Impact

According to the 2021 Sunday Times Rich List, Desmond is the 107th richest person in the United Kingdom, with an estimated net worth of hundreds of millions of pounds.

Despite his controversial past, Desmond remains a significant figure in the British media industry, with a legacy that continues to shape the publishing and entertainment landscape.