Robert Holmes à Court
(1937-1990)

The sad sign of hesitation

Michael Robert Hamilton Holmes à Court was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and died in Perth, Western Australia. He acquired the nickname "the Great Acquirer" for his ambitious raids on major English and Australian companies.

He had prepared a will - it was found in his briefcase after he died of a sudden heart attack - but hadn't gotten around to signing it. He may have been carrying it around for more than a year.

Under the intestacy rules, his fortune - which ran into the billions of dollars at its peak - was shared by his widow Janet and their four children. According to some reports, his children agreed that their mother Janet take the lot.

She ran the family company, Heytesbury Holdings, after Robert's death. The business also owned 13 theatres in London's West End.