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Corrected nationalities of adoptive parents. Remove unreferenced "purebred english" claim.
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==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==
Wheeler was adopted from birth by an English father and mother. He is a purebred english. <ref name="woftelegraph" /> He was educated at [[Eton College]].<ref name="woftelegraph">{{cite web|last1=Hall|first1=Amanda|title=Wheeler of fortune|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2745038/Wheeler-of-fortune.html|website=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=6 November 2017}}</ref> He did his [[National Service in the United Kingdom|National Service]] with the [[Welsh Guards]], before studying at [[Christ Church, Oxford]], from where he graduated with a [[British undergraduate degree classification|second-class degree]] in law.<ref name="Stuart Wheeler: £5 million man" /> He practised law as a [[barrister]], before becoming an [[investment banking|investment banker]].<ref name="woftelegraph" /> However, Wheeler found his niche through IG Index, which pioneered [[spread betting]]. Originally, the company was launched to allow Britons to speculate on [[Gold as an investment|gold]], when [[foreign exchange controls]] made it exorbitantly expensive to actually buy it.<ref name="Stuart Wheeler: £5 million man" />
Wheeler was adopted from birth by an American father and English mother. <ref name="woftelegraph" /> He was educated at [[Eton College]].<ref name="woftelegraph">{{cite web|last1=Hall|first1=Amanda|title=Wheeler of fortune|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2745038/Wheeler-of-fortune.html|website=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=6 November 2017}}</ref> He did his [[National Service in the United Kingdom|National Service]] with the [[Welsh Guards]], before studying at [[Christ Church, Oxford]], from where he graduated with a [[British undergraduate degree classification|second-class degree]] in law.<ref name="Stuart Wheeler: £5 million man" /> He practised law as a [[barrister]], before becoming an [[investment banking|investment banker]].<ref name="woftelegraph" /> However, Wheeler found his niche through IG Index, which pioneered [[spread betting]]. Originally, the company was launched to allow Britons to speculate on [[Gold as an investment|gold]], when [[foreign exchange controls]] made it exorbitantly expensive to actually buy it.<ref name="Stuart Wheeler: £5 million man" />


All of the IG Group's shares are still owned by his private company.
All of the IG Group's shares are still owned by his private company.

Revision as of 10:02, 18 July 2020

Not to be confused with Stewart Wheeler.

Stuart Wheeler
Wheeler in 2009
Born (1935-01-30) 30 January 1935 (age 89)
City of London, London, England
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Financier, political activist, barrister
Political party
Spouse
Tessa Codrington
​
​
(m. 1963⁠–⁠2016)​
ChildrenGeorge,Sarah, Jacquetta, and Charlotte

John Stuart Wheeler (born 30 January 1935) is a British financier and political activist. He made his fortune as the founder of the spread betting firm IG Index in 1974, but is best known for his political activism,[1] being formerly a major donor to the Conservative Party and treasurer of the UK Independence Party from 2011 to 2014.[2]

Early life and career

Wheeler was adopted from birth by an American father and English mother. [3] He was educated at Eton College.[3] He did his National Service with the Welsh Guards, before studying at Christ Church, Oxford, from where he graduated with a second-class degree in law.[4] He practised law as a barrister, before becoming an investment banker.[3] However, Wheeler found his niche through IG Index, which pioneered spread betting. Originally, the company was launched to allow Britons to speculate on gold, when foreign exchange controls made it exorbitantly expensive to actually buy it.[4]

All of the IG Group's shares are still owned by his private company.

Politics

Conservative Party

Although a successful businessman, Wheeler was not a well-known figure nationally until he donated £5m to the Conservative Party during the 2001 election campaign.[1] This was, and remains, the largest single donation ever made to a political party in the United Kingdom.

In January 2008, Wheeler brought an action against the government, represented by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, over the government's process of ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.[5][6] The action sought to prevent the government from completing ratification of the treaty, on the grounds that it was illegal for a government to breach the public's legitimate expectation of adherence to manifesto and other commitments.[6] The government, along with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, had pledged in their 2005 manifestos to hold a referendum on the European Constitution, which Wheeler holds does not have 'significant or material differences' from the Treaty of Lisbon. This action failed.[6][7]

Wheeler was seen as belonging to the right wing of the Conservative Party.[8] He supported Liam Fox in the 2005 leadership contest, and switched his support to David Davis against David Cameron in the final run-off.[8] He was initially critical of the leadership of David Cameron during its first few months.[8]

On 28 March 2009, Wheeler donated £100,000 to the UK Independence Party (UKIP) after criticising David Cameron's stance towards the Treaty of Lisbon and the European Union. He said, "If they kick me out I will understand. I will be very sorry about it but it won't alter my stance."[9] The following day he was expelled from the Conservative Party.[10]

The Trust Party

On 29 March 2010, Wheeler announced that he was forming a new political party to be called the Trust Party and that he would run for the Bexhill and Battle seat. The seat was won by Gregory Barker for the Conservatives, but Wheeler polled 4.9% and therefore lost his deposit. The new party also fielded a candidate in Perth and North Perthshire, where it won 1.1% of the vote.[11]

UKIP treasurer

In 2011, Wheeler was appointed treasurer of UKIP to spearhead fundraising in advance of the 2014 European elections. His appointment was seen as a blow for the Conservatives because of his network of contacts.[2] Party leader Nigel Farage said the move would enable the party to "raise serious money" as a lack of funds was "holding them back".[12]

Vote Leave co-treasurer

At the launch of the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit in October 2015, Wheeler was reported to be one of the new group's three major donors, with Peter Cruddas and John Mills, and the three men were appointed as joint co-treasurers.[13]

Personal life

Wheeler has been called an "obsessive" gambler,[1][14][15] taking a keen interest in card and risk games and having played bridge with Lord Lucan on 6 November 1974, two days before his disappearance, and with Omar Sharif,[4] as well as being a regular competitor in World Series of Poker championships.[1]

His wife, photographer Tessa Codrington, died in 2016. They produced three daughters, including model Jacquetta Wheeler.[4]

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d Parkinson, Gary (14 March 2002). "Spread betting boss throws in his hand". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  2. ^ a b Woodhouse, Craig (10 January 2011). "Former Tory donor named as Ukip's new treasurer". London Evening Standard.
  3. ^ a b c Hall, Amanda. "Wheeler of fortune". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Stuart Wheeler: £5 million man". BBC News. 18 January 2001. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  5. ^ R (John Stuart Wheeler) v Office of the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2008] EWHC 936 (Admin)
  6. ^ a b c "Court challenge to EU referendum". BBC News. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  7. ^ R (Wheeler) v Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Archived 23 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine [2008] EWHC 1409 (Admin)
  8. ^ a b c Jones, George (22 February 2006). "£5m donor accuses Cameron of education U-turn". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  9. ^ Coates, Sam (29 March 2009). "Tory donor Stuart Wheeler faces expulsion over UKIP support". The Times. London. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Coates, Sam (30 March 2009). "Tory donor who gave £100,000 to UKIP will be expelled from party". The Times. London. (subscription required)
  11. ^ "His Trust Party is to field a second candidate, accountant Douglas Taylor, against Scottish Nationalist MP Pete Wishart in Perth". Daily Mail. London. 28 March 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  12. ^ Martin, Daniel; Narain, Jaya (10 January 2011). "Former Tory donor who gave party £5m ebecomes treasurer of UKIP". Daily Mail (London).
  13. ^ Paul Goodman, Vote Leave launches, Join it today dated 9 October 2015 at conservativehome.com; "3 top political donors to fund EU ‘Brexit’ campaign" dated 9 October 2015 at rt.com
  14. ^ Jagger, Suzy (27 December 2001). "Wheeler fortune". Daily Mirror. London.
  15. ^ "Tim Howkins – Spread your bets". Accountancy Age. 4 April 2002.
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