James Dyson Net Worth & Biography

James Dyson is a respected entrepreneur and inventor who is famed for inventing the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner. A highly successful businessman and industrial designer, he founded Dyson Limited in 1993 which is a tech company that designs, manufactures, and supplies vacuum cleaners, heaters, hand dryers, and bladeless fans. Born into a middle-class family in the United Kingdom, he had a normal childhood until the passing of his father when he was 9 years old. Feeling lost without the presence of a father figure to guide him, James felt very unconfident and sought out ways to prove his worth. Intelligent and innovative from a young age, his high degree of determination helped him pay attention to the goals he set for himself, which, eventually, led him to become one of the most imaginative technological inventors of our time.

Early Life: Childhood, Education

The British inventor, James Dyson, is one of the three children of Alec and Mary Dyson. He was born on May 2, 1947, in Cromer, Norfolk, England. When he was 9 years old, he lost his father to cancer and this tragedy deeply affected him and almost distracted his focus from his studies and dreams,

He attended a boarding school in Holt, Norfolk, called Gresham’s School, from 1956 to 1965. From here, he went to London and studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art from 1965 to 1966 before studying interior design and furniture at the Royal College of Art from 1966 to 1970. He later moved into engineering.

Professional Life: Entrepreneurial Career

Following his graduation in 1970, James took a small job at Rotork Controls Ltd., Bath, Somerset. He had the good fortune of having a boss, Jeremy Fry, who encouraged and motivated young talents to be innovative. In spite of the fact that he had no prior experience in designing a product, his boss put him in charge of designing a fast landing craft. Working along with his boss, James designed the Rotork Sea Truck, a high-speed, flat-hulled watercraft, similar to a small landing craft.

In 1974, he came up with his own first invention, the Ballbarrow. It was a variation of the wheelbarrow design which featured a molded plastic hopper on a steel frame and had a spherical plastic wheel, which allowed increased maneuverability as compared to an orthodox design. In the late 1970s, he faced a problem with his vacuum cleaner and felt that the attached bag was hindering the performance of the appliance. So he started working on designing a bagless system of vacuum cleaner that would be more efficient. He tirelessly worked on his designs over the next 5 years, and finally, in 1983, he introduced the “G-Force” cleaner. He launched his product in Japan through catalog sales after he couldn’t find any distributor to handle his product in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the product became immensely popular in Japan and with the profits he earned from its sale, James was able to start his own company, Dyson Limited, in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England in 1993.

Within a couple of years after launching the Dyson DC01 vacuum cleaner in Britain, the machine became the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the country. Following the success of this appliance, he launched several other improved versions over the following years. His company also launched a washing machine called the ContraRotator in 2000. However, the appliance was not a commercial success and its production was discontinued.

In 2006, James Dyson launched the Dyson Airblade, a fast hand dryer that uses lesser energy than traditional electrical hand dryers and also allows faster drying.

Achievements: Awards & Honors

James is best known as the inventor of the popular Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, commonly known as the “G-Force”, and this is perhaps his biggest accomplishment to date. His efforts have afforded him the opportunity to be recognized in his country and in other parts of the world. In 1997, he received the Prince Philip Designers Prize for his inventions. The government of England named him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1996, and in 2007, he was made a Knight Bachelor.

Personal Life: Wife, Children, Private Interests, Philanthropy

James Dyson and Deirdre Hindmarsh tied the knot in 1988. Deidre is an art teacher and painter. They have three children together: Emily, Jake, and Sam.

In 2002, James set up the James Dyson Foundation with the aim of supporting design and engineering education. He aims to inspire innovative young minds to study engineering. He also supports the work of young designers through his annually hosted James Dyson Award.

James Dyson Net Worth: Salary, Income Sources, Assets

Sir James Dyson’s net worth, as of this writing, is pegged at $22 billion, making him one of the richest persons in the United Kingdom. He is best known for being an entrepreneur, inventor, designer, and farmer, and these career choices have been the major sources of his ever-increasing wealth.

His assets and properties include a Georgian estate in South Gloucestershire called Dodington Park, the Domaine des Rabelles in France which he owns together with his wife, the super yacht Nahlin which is considered, one of the largest in the world, an AugustaWestland AW-139 helicopter, and two Gulfstream G650ER private jets.