Manny Davidson

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]