Sir Ken Morrison, British businessman, Died at 85

  Business

Sir Kenneth Duncan “Ken” Morrison was born on October 20, 1931, and died on February 1, 2017.

He was an English businessman.

He was the Life President and former chairman of Morrisons (Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC), the fourth largest supermarket group in the United Kingdom.

Ken was the youngest child of William Murdoch Morrison and Hilda Morrison (née Ryder), who owned a small grocery chain set up in 1899.

Ken was born in Bradford and was brought up by five elder sisters.

When he was at Bradford Grammar School, Morrison worked in the family provisions business in the school holidays.

Morrison was given jobs such as working on the market stalls or checking eggs against lamps for defects.

He served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as a National Serviceman and was demobilized in 1952.

Ken’s father was seriously ill, so Ken began to manage the business at the age of 26.

He received the CBE in 1990 and was knighted in the 2000 new year’s honours list for services to the food retailing industry.

During the Sunday Times Rich List 2007 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 35th with an estimated family fortune of £1,595 million.

Now, his family retain 15.5% of the company.

Reportedly in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013, his family’s wealth was estimated to be £1.05bn, making them 83rd in the list of the 1,000 richest people in the UK.

He resided on the outskirts of York, in Myton Hall, Myton-upon-Swale, North Yorkshire, with his wife Lynne, and his two youngest children.

Ken Morrison passed away at 85 years old.