It has at least 130 high street shops and employs more than 7,500 women to organise sales parties in private homes. The daughter of a publisher of adult magazines, Jacqueline transformed Ann Summers from a chain of sex shops into a multi-million-pound success story by marketing its merchandise at women. She sold her London home just before the credit crunch for near the asking price of £28million, having bought it for £11.5million, and “downsized” to a £6million apartment beside the Thames.Ĭhief executive of Ann Summers, worth £340million with her father David Gold She caused controversy when she said that excessive maternity leave and large sex discrimination payouts risk blighting women’s prospects in the workplace.Ī Canadian based in London, she built a publishing conglomerate of classified-ad publications with her second husband from whom she is now divorced.Īfter the firm was sold she carved out a dominant presence in the world of art publishing and owns 90 titles.
She is now deputy chairman of JO Hambro and she and her hedge-funder husband have been described as the Posh and Becks of finance. She also sat on the board of the failed bank Northern Rock.
