Peter Jones

Peter is one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs and became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor. He is Chairman and Chief Executive of Phones International Group, steering and driving them forward as one of the UK's most successful and fastest-growing telecommunications businesses.He was born in 1966 and grew up in Maidenhead and attended the Desborough School before going onto The Windsor Boys' School.As a teenager he had a particular passion for tennis and even at the tender age of 16 his entrepreneurial zeal was emerging.He capitalised on his love of tennis by earning money from giving tennis lessons to friends and other pupils and, subsequently, set up his own tennis academy. By the time Peter was 21 he had his own home and was happily married.During the early 1990s, when Peter was in his mid-20s, he experienced the cruel hand of the market when his cocktail bar venture failed, costing him £200,000 after deciding to sell it. He had also set up his own computer business, but this also failed forcing him to give up his three-bedroom home in Bray, his cars, and ultimately leaving Peter no choice but to move back in with his parents.It was in 1998 that he set up the Phones International Group, starting humbly by sleeping on the office floor, but business soon grew. The firm experienced explosive growth with revenue totaling £14 million by the end of the first year and £44 million by the end of the second. The company was one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe. Group turnover for 2005/2006 was in excess of £150 million, making Peter a multi-millionaire.After appearing on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his own American television show American Inventor, Peter became a celebrity in his own right. He is known on the show for his regular conflicts in the Den with fellow Dragon, Duncan Bannatyne.By this stage it seemed he could do no wrong and he sold his TV show idea called 'The Inventor' to the American Broadcasting Company. "American Inventor", which was co-produced by Fremantle, Simon Cowell and "Peter Jones Television" - aired in March 2006. The first episode of Inventor put ABC ahead of rival networks with a 7.8 average rating and a 13 share and became a Number one show in America.Peter is also obsessed by cars. His first car was an Alfa Romeo Alfasud, and he has a stable of classic and luxury sports cars. He is also involved in a number of additional business and media activities. His book Tycoon, published in 2007 by Hodder & Stoughton, is a UK bestseller. Jones is represented in the UK by Useful Talent who are specialists in celebrity led endorsements, advertising contracts, PR campaigns, corporate entertainment, product launches and personal appearances. Show less «