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Sir James Dyson's journey to becoming Britain's richest man

Sir James Dyson's rocky ride to the top
Early life in Norfolk
Dyson goes to boarding school
Dyson moves on to art school
Dyson continues his studies at the Royal College of Art
James marries Deirdre Hindmarsh
The Dyson's move to Bath
Two more children arrive
The Ballbarrow takes shape
Dyson becomes obsessed with floor cleaning
Dyson makes 5,127 prototypes
Gambling on success
The Dyson DC01 launches in the UK
Mail order catalogues give him his first break
Back to the drawing board
Dyson washes up
Dyson moves into air appliances
Dyson enters the haircare market
Dyson cuts the cord
Dyson becomes a Sir
The James Dyson Foundation
Dyson launches Dyson School of Design Engineering
Dyson builds a university
A family affair
Jake Dyson joins the business
The next generation of vacuuming
Plans for electric cars
Dyson moves to Singapore
Joining the fight against coronavirus
Dyson owns more land than the Queen
Dyson is Britain's richest man
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CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / Contributor / Getty Images

Sir James Dyson's rocky ride to the top

He may have given his name to one of the most iconic designs of the 20th century, the Dyson bagless vacuum, but the road to success has not always been smooth for Sir James Dyson. The British inventor now holds the title of Britain's richest man according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2020 after increasing his fortune by £3.6 billion ($4.4bn) in a year, but to amass his fortune he’s faced pitfalls, rejection and personal tragedy, as well as his fair share of controversy. Click or scroll through to take a look at the 73-year-old entrepreneur's fascinating story.

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lovemoney staff

18 May 2020

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