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Young leader makes rich list

A YOUNG entrepreneur who started his business in the North East has been ranked as one of the UK’s top earners according to the Sunday Times.

29-year-old Sean O’Connor - founder of Clean Energy Capital (CEC plc) - has made it onto this year’s prestigious Young Rich List 2010 supplement.

Worth an estimated £33m, Mr. O’Connor made number 6 in the top 100 richest people aged under 30, just behind actor Daniel Radcliffe, in the list which was released yesterday.

The Young Rich List is an extension of the Sunday Times Rich List, the most famous and influential survey of Britain’s wealthiest people, published annually for the past 17 years.

After graduating from Northumbria University, Mr. O’Connor successfully jumped on the property market boom at the age of 23. Developing a number of property ventures in and around Sunderland, he built up a personal property portfolio of 40 properties worth over £5m.

As the property market cooled, Mr O’Connor spent 12 months researching the next big trend; identifying the fast developing ‘green market’ before launching the company in Sunderland, which is now a leading financer for low carbon businesses and technology in early 2007.

With clean energy solutions being one of the foremost global priorities, emerging businesses have allowed Clean Energy Capital to create exciting new investment opportunities for its own funds and that of institutions and a select group of high net worth individuals.

Mr. O’Connor is already established as an expert in the field of financing opportunities in this sector, and the company has since secured tens of millions of pounds of investment, despite the recession, for green projects in the UK and internationally. CEC has invested in developing the energy and carbon trading side of the business to manage the commodities generated from the projects it funds.

With business growing at a rapid rate, CEC plc employs 11 members of staff across its offices in Sunderland, Leeds and London. In 2009 CEC plc made £1.25m profit and in 2010 profits have already exceeded the forecast to hit £3m.

The Sunday Times Rich List is invaluable to people in business, fundraisers, charities, and anyone concerned with how wealth is created in Britain today and contains fascinating insights into how wealth is created and distributed.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .