Moneysupermarket.com Simon Nixon talks to Cheshire Life

By Cheshire Life on January 16th 2010

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Anxious parents worried about whether their children will achieve career success can take comfort from Simon Nixon’s story. As a 20-year-old he dropped out of an accountancy degree. But as he is now one of the UK’s richest entrepreneurs, it did little to hinder his success.
He founded internet giant Moneysupermarket.com – which was floated on the Stock Exchange for £850 million in 2007 – and also launched travelsupermarket.com, headed up by former lecturer and brother Chris. Simon is now an industry heavyweight and there’s no stopping him. As well as launching a travel guide website, Simonseeks, which has already been awarded Website of the Year by The Good Web Guide, he has now started his first non-internet based venture SimonEscapes. The new company is a portfolio of holiday homes Simon has bought and developed personally. The collection includes beautiful homes across the country in Padstow, Cornwall and Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds as well as Borth Cottage, a beautiful home on the beachfront at Abersoch. In the past it had been rented out to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
The 42-year-old said: ‘I thought about buying property in the UK’s best holiday locations. I was looking at buying some for myself but then I started thinking about the implications. It wouldn’t be good for the environment or for the local economy to have these houses standing empty for long periods of time.
‘More often than not you go on holiday and the holiday home you stay in is probably not going to be as nice as your own home. I don’t see why it has to be that way. In the properties we have baths in the bedroom so you can take advantage of those lovely views, there’s a cinema room, a spa and we also have a helipad. It’s all about an experience; we have a full time concierge and personal chefs on hand who can make your stay really special.’
Simon was born in Connah’s Quay and grew up in North Wales with dad, Michael, mum Rosemary and his brother, Chris, and he attended school in Flint. Simon’s dad was in the RAF and moved around. Many of the family’s holidays were in places like Llandudno, Rhyl and Prestatyn - one of the reasons for buying a place in North Wales.
But Simon admits that his success has taken years of hard work. In his early career he published a fortnightly newspaper detailing all the latest mortgage rates. He was also the founder of a package called Mortgage 2000, a system still used by around a third of all estate agents. He and the businesses have won numerous awards. But it is tragic circumstances that have driven him on.
He explained: ‘I was 18 when my mum died and at that age it was a very difficult thing to go through. People ask me why I have gone down this path but when you lose your mum I think you become more insecure as well as more independent.
‘The easiest way for me to gain security was through financial security so I worked really hard. It gives you the feeling that if you get money behind you or success then you are more secure. I’ve found that a lot of successful people have lost their mother at a young age.’
Simon now enjoys financial security and success but he says it is no longer about the money. There is still one thing that is out of his reach.
‘I want to beat my dad at squash,’ he joked. ‘I go playing with him fairly regularly and he can still beat me.
‘It was about the money at first but once you get those things that make you feel secure it’s all about being happy and being the best at whatever it is you do. My dream and ambition is to be happy because if you are then it doesn’t matter what you do.’ 

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