Alan Parker (businessman)


Alan M. Parker is a British billionaire businessman.

Early life

Alan M. Parker was born into a modest family in Rhodesia, the son of a British colonial civil servant.

Career

Parker trained as an accountant, and worked for the Hong Kong-based DFS Group. He became DFS's third largest shareholder, and in 1997 when it was taken over by LVMH, Parker received about $840m for his 20% stake. Parker also made money investing in hedge funds and high technology.
As of 2014, Parker is living in Geneva, Switzerland and has a net worth of £2.34 billion.

Philanthropy

Parker is known for his philanthropy through his Oak Foundation, which spends $200 million yearly on projects including humanitarian help in Africa, medical research, victims of torture, ecology and journalism. His wife Jette sponsors The Royal Opera's Jette Parker Young Artists Programme.

Personal life

He is married to Jette Parker, and they have three children, Caroline, Natalie and Kristian.