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Paul Sykes is a British businessman, political donor, and friend and associate of the eurosceptic populist politician Robert Kilroy-Silk. He is a vehement opponent of the European Union and is noted for his belief that it represents a conspiracy to create an undemocratic superstate. In October 2004, he was estimated to have donated £6 million to eurosceptic campaigns. Paul Sykes has come a long way to become one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen (he is estimated to be worth around £500m). Born the son of a miner in Barnsley, he left school without any qualifications. At 18 he began his first business dismantling old buses and selling the engines as scrap to developing countries in the Far East. A decade on he moved into property and hit the big-time building one of the first out-of-town shopping centres in Britain, the Meadowhall development in Sheffield. He also made money on developing the internet with his firm Planet Online becoming the country's largest internet provider. In 1998 he sold it for £85m to Energis - which at that time carried around 40% of the UK's internet traffic.  |
