Doug Perkins

Douglas John David Perkins (born April 1943) is a Welsh billionaire businessman. He is the co-founder of Specsavers, an international optical and audiology retail chain.

Early life Douglas John David Perkins was born in April 1943 in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. His father was a policeman and his grandparents were farmers in the county. He was educated at the Llanelli Boys Grammar School, and he graduated from Cardiff University, where he met his wife, Mary Perkins.

Perkins co-founded Specsavers with his wife Mary in 1984. In February 2026, they were listed in the Sunday Times Tax list with an estimated £121.7 million.

In 2023, Mary and Doug Perkins placed Specsavers into a family trust, stating that they did not want their children to sell the business to private equity.

Perkins was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the King's Birthday Honours List in 2025, in recognition of his services to business and trade. Personal life Perkins lives in Guernsey with his wife Mary. They have a son, John, and two daughters, Cathy and Julie.