Manny Davidson
British property businessman and billionaire (1931–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Emanuel Wolfe Davidson (5 February 1931 – 12 December 2024) was a British property billionaire, who was resident in Monaco but had significant holdings in the United Kingdom.[1][2][3]
Life and career
Davidson was born in London on 5 February 1931. He grew up in a terraced house in Blackpool during World War II. Prior to moving to Monaco, Davidson and his family lived in Lyegrove House, a Jacobean mansion house set in 18 acres in Gloucestershire, purchased in 1992.[4][5]
In 1964 he founded Asda Property, in 1985 he took it public, in 2001 he took it private for £231.7 million in a 50:50 joint venture with British Land called BL Davidson and then in 2006 he sold his 50% stake in BL Davidson to British Land for about £253 million.[6]
He was a board member of Bowel & Cancer Research, but stepped down in 2010 to become its first patron.[7]
In 2017, Davidson and his wife were involved in a legal dispute with their two children, Maxine and Gerald, over the return of a collection of jewellery, paintings and art thought to be worth more than £17 million.[8]
Davidson died on 12 December 2024, at the age of 93.[9]
