# Simon Arora > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Simon_Arora > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Simon_Arora.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Arora > Source revision: 1356240843 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description| British billionaire businessman, and former CEO (born 1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox person | image = | image_size = | name = Simon Arora | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1969|11}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University) | occupation = Businessman | known for = | spouse = Shalni Arora | parents = | children = 2 daughters | relatives = [Bobby Arora](/source/Bobby_Arora) (brother)
[Robin Arora](/source/Robin_Arora) (brother) | website = }} '''Simon Arora''' (born November 1969) is a British [billionaire](/source/billionaire) businessman, and former CEO of the retail chain [B&M](/source/B%26M). {{cite web |title=New B&M CEO takes over seven months early |url=https://lbndaily.co.uk/new-bm-ceo-takes-over-seven-months-early |website=LBN Daily |date=15 September 2022 |access-date=23 January 2023}} ==Early life== Simon Arora was born in November 1969 to [Indian parents](/source/British_Indians).{{cite book | last=Bloodworth | first=J. | title=Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain | publisher=[Atlantic Books](/source/Atlantic_Books) | year=2018 | isbn=978-1-78649-015-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z2U6DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT113 | access-date=24 September 2023 | page=113}}{{cite web|title=B & M Retail Limited|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01357507/officers|website=Companies House|accessdate=10 August 2015}} His businessman father had emigrated to the UK from [Delhi](/source/Delhi) in the 1960s.{{Cite web |last=Winchester |first=Levi |date=28 June 2021 |title=Billionaire B&M brothers worth £2.5bn after dad moved to UK with '£10 in pocket' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/billionaire-bm-brothers-worth-25bn-24416199 |access-date=24 September 2023 |website=mirror |language=en}} He studied law at [Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge](/source/Fitzwilliam_College%2C_Cambridge), and worked at his father's [cash and carry](/source/Cash_and_carry_(wholesale)).{{cite web|url=https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/top100entrepreneurs-2015-simon-bobby-arora-bm |title=Simon and Bobby Arora - B&M |publisher=Managementtoday.co.uk |date= |accessdate=3 June 2017}}{{cite news |title=Tripos examination results from Cambridge university |work=The Times |date=3 July 1991 |page=35}} ==Career== Arora worked as an analyst for [McKinsey](/source/McKinsey_%26_Company), [3i](/source/3i) and [Barclays](/source/Barclays). In 1995, he went into business with his younger brother [Bobby Arora](/source/Bobby_Arora), importing homewares from Asia and supplying them to UK retail chains, before buying [B&M](/source/B%26M) in 2004, which was then a struggling grocery chain based in Blackpool. In 2017, Simon and Bobby Arora cashed in £215m of shares and reduced their stake in B&M by a quarter, three years after taking it public.{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/5fef7108-477f-11e7-8519-9f94ee97d996|title=Billionaire brothers sell stake in UK discounter B&M|work=Financial Times|date=2 June 2017 |accessdate=14 January 2019}} As of May 2019, the Arora brothers (Simon, Bobby and Robin) jointly have a net worth of £2.26 billion.{{cite news |last1=Britton |first1=Paul |title=The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: The 15 richest people in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the north west |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/richest-people-times-rich-list-16251442 |accessdate=8 October 2020 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=10 May 2019}} Arora stepped down as CEO of B&M in September 2022 following 17 years in the role. He remains an executive director at the company. ===Covid-19 rates relief=== In March 2020, as a result of the [COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_Kingdom), [Rishi Sunak](/source/Rishi_Sunak), then [Chancellor of the Exchequer](/source/Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer), gave [business rate](/source/business_rate)s relief and [furlough](/source/furlough) payments to businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors.{{cite web |last1=Chapman |first1=Ben |title=What support is the government offering to get through the coronavirus pandemic? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/coronavirus-financial-support-government-money-help-rent-bills-a9407776.html |website=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent) |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107165919/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/coronavirus-financial-support-government-money-help-rent-bills-a9407776.html |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Northcliffe House, London](/source/Northcliffe_House%2C_London) |language=en |date=24 March 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Jahshan |first1=Elias |title=Chancellor extends one-year business rates holiday for all retailers - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/03/chancellor-extends-one-year-business-rates-holiday-for-all-retailers/ |website=Retail Gazette |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107171347/https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/03/chancellor-extends-one-year-business-rates-holiday-for-all-retailers/ |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Marylebone](/source/Marylebone) |language=en |date=18 March 2020}} [B&M](/source/B%26M) was among several businesses classified as 'essential retailers' and as a result was allowed to remain open when other 'non-essential' businesses had to close.{{cite web |last1=Chapman |first1=Ben |title=B&M Bargains boss pays himself £30m after bumper sales during lockdown |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/bm-bargains-simon-arora-dividend-results-b1783823.html |website=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent) |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107185005/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/bm-bargains-simon-arora-dividend-results-b1783823.html |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Northcliffe House, London](/source/Northcliffe_House%2C_London) |language=en |date=7 January 2021}} In November 2020, B&M and other retailers were subject to a public outcry for having not handed back payments totalling £1.8 billion intended for propping up retailers prevented from trading due to restrictions, despite making record profits.{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Zoe |last2=Kollewe |first2=Julia |title=£1.8bn-plus in Covid rates relief to be handed back as B&M joins list |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/03/sainsburys-hands-back-440m-in-covid-business-rates-relief |website=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107171620/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/03/sainsburys-hands-back-440m-in-covid-business-rates-relief |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Kings Place, London](/source/Kings_Place%2C_London) |language=en |date=3 December 2020}} The retailer declared £296m in profit and as a result issued a £250m special dividend despite having received £38m in business rates relief and £3.7m in furlough payments.{{cite web |last1=Pratley |first1=Nils |title=Treasury messed up over B&M's Covid rates freebie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2020/nov/12/treasury-b-and-m-covid-rates-freebie-shops-business-rates-relief |website=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107182628/https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2020/nov/12/treasury-b-and-m-covid-rates-freebie-shops-business-rates-relief |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Kings Place, London](/source/Kings_Place%2C_London) |language=en |date=12 November 2020}} The Arora brothers received a combined total of £37m of the special dividend due to their 15% shareholding, which was said to be worth at least £750m.{{cite web |last1=Partridge |first1=Joanna |title=Lockdown sales boost at B&M prompts £250m special dividend |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/12/lockdown-sales-boost-at-bm-prompts-250m-special-dividend |website=The Guardian |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107183019/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/12/lockdown-sales-boost-at-bm-prompts-250m-special-dividend |archive-date=7 January 2021 |location=[Kings Place, London](/source/Kings_Place%2C_London) |language=en |date=12 November 2020}} The firm agreed to pay £80m in business rate relief it had saved, a move mirrored by major supermarkets including [Tesco](/source/Tesco), [Sainsbury's](/source/Sainsbury's) and [Morrisons](/source/Morrisons). ==Personal life== He is married to Shalni Arora, who has a Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge University, and was a co-founder of bio-tech business [DxS](/source/DxS).{{cite web|url=https://asianpowercouples.com/the-list/simon-shalni-arora/ |title=Simon & Shalni Arora - Asian Power CouplesAsian Power Couples |publisher=Asianpowercouples.com |date=30 June 2015 |accessdate=3 June 2017}} They have two daughters.{{cite web|author=James Ferguson |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/brothers-on-their-way-to-creating-the-new-woolies-893304 |title=Brothers on their way to creating the new Woolies |publisher=Manchester Evening News |date= 2 July 2010|accessdate=3 June 2017}} Arora lives in [Hale Barns](/source/Hale_Barns) near [Altrincham](/source/Altrincham), next door to his brother [Bobby](/source/Bobby_Arora).{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/05/sunak-takes-raf-chopper-to-dover-just-over-an-hour-away-by-train|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605115516/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/05/sunak-takes-raf-chopper-to-dover-just-over-an-hour-away-by-train|title=Sunak takes RAF chopper to Dover, just over an hour away by train|date=5 June 2023|work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|accessdate=5 June 2023|archivedate=5 June 2023}} Arora owns three of the flats at 3–10 [Grosvenor Crescent](/source/Grosvenor_Crescent), a Grade II* listed terrace in London's [Belgravia](/source/Belgravia) district, where he unsuccessfully opposed a legal dispute about concierge services in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/financier-who-owns-18-million-flat-wins-court-battle-over-lack-of-concierge-staff-at-block-a3697096.html|title=Owner of £18m flat wins court fight over lack of concierge staff|date=21 November 2017|publisher=|accessdate=23 December 2017}} Arora donated £50,000 to the [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) in early 2020.{{cite web|title=The Electoral Commission - Conservative and Unionist Party (Great Britain), Cash (C0501106)|url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0501106|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526142324/https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0501106|publisher=[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)](/source/Electoral_Commission_(United_Kingdom))|accessdate=5 June 2023|archivedate=26 May 2023}} == Awards == Simon Arora was honoured with the ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the [https://asianachieversawards.com/asian-achievers-awards-2025-neerja-birla-rishi-rich-taj-foods/ Asian Achievers Awards] for his leadership in the retail sector and his contribution to business growth and entrepreneurship.{{Cite web |title=Asian Achievers Honoured in London – London Daily Digital |url=https://ldd.news/lite-blogs/asian-achievers-honoured-in-london/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |language=en-US}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Arora, Simon}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:British businesspeople Category:British billionaires Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge Category:Conservative Party (UK) donors Category:British people of Indian descent --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simon Arora](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Arora) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Arora?action=history)). 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