Sir Adrian Christopher Swire (15 February 1932 – 24 August 2018) was a billionaire British heir and businessman. He was the former chairman of John Swire & Sons Ltd. In April 2015, the Swire family's net worth was estimated at £2.4 billion.

Early life

Swire was born on 15 February 1932, grew up at Hubbards Hall near Harlow, and was educated at

Wellesley House School Wellesley House School is an independent day and boarding preparatory school in the coastal town of Broadstairs in the English county of Kent. Founded in 1866, it educates boys and girls aged 3 to 13. History The history of Wellesley House Sch ...

, Eton and

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...

. During his national service, he served in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

Career

Swire started his career for a subsidiary of the family business, Butterfield & Swire Far East, in 1956 before returning to run the London operations office in 1961. He was president of the General Council of British Shipping from 1980 to 1981. He was the chairman of John Swire & Sons from 1987 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2004. He was on the board of directors of Cathay Pacific, an airline partially owned by the family business, from 1965 to 2005.

Honours

He was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

in the

1982 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1982 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countrie ...

Personal life

He was married to Lady Judith Compton, the daughter of William Bingham Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton. They had three children, Martha, Merlin and Samuel. The family lived at Sparsholt Manor, near

Wantage Wantage () is a historic market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the historic county of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire since 1974. T ...

. He was a keen amateur pilot, serving as a member of the

Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) was a Hong Kong Government department based in Hong Kong. It was formed as an air force in 1949 as part of the Hong Kong Defence Force. In preparation for the transfer of sovereignty from the Uni ...

. From 1995 to 2004 he was Pro-Chancellor of

Southampton University , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

. He was a member of

White's White's is a gentlemen's club in St James's, London. Founded in 1693 as a hot chocolate shop in Mayfair, it is the oldest gentleman's club in London. It moved to its current premises on St James's Street in 1778. Status White's is the oldes ...

Brooks's Brooks's is a gentlemen's club in St James's Street, London. It is one of the oldest and most exclusive gentlemen's clubs in the world. History In January 1762, a private society was established at 50 Pall Mall by Messrs. Boothby and James ...

, Pratt's and the

Hong Kong Club The Hong Kong Club () is the first gentlemen's club in Hong Kong. Opened on 26 May 1846, it is a private business and dining club in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. Its members were (and still are) among the most influential people in the city, ...

References

1932 births 2018 deaths British people of English descent Alumni of University College, Oxford British corporate directors British billionaires Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Deputy Lieutenants of Oxfordshire Cathay Pacific Hong Kong people People educated at Eton College

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the mai ...

Knights Bachelor 20th-century British businesspeople {{UK-business-bio-stub