Peter Hargreaves

Peter Kendal Hargreaves CBE (born 5 October 1946) is a British businessman and executive. Along with Stephen Lansdown, he founded Hargreaves Lansdown, a large UK financial services company, where he retains a 10 per cent shareholding. He is a partner in Blue Whale Capital, an investment company that was launched in 2017.

Early life Hargreaves was born in Clitheroe and educated at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School in Lancashire.

Career Trained as an accountant, Hargreaves joined the board of ITM Power in February 2004 as a non-executive director: he has invested heavily in ITM Power and recruited Dr Graham Cooley as the company's CEO in July 2009. In March 2016 he joined the Leave.EU movement to campaign for the UK's exit from the European Union. He was the top donor to the Brexit campaign contributing over £3 million to the Leave campaign. In September 2017, Hargreaves announced a £25 million backing in Blue Whale Capital – a new asset management company set up by previous colleague, Stephen Yiu.

It was announced in August 2020 that Hargreaves would receive £63.4 million in dividends after Hargreaves Lansdown's profits increased by 24% to £378.3 million in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2020.

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 his net worth was estimated at £2.4 billion. In 2021, he came ninth in a list of the top ten biggest taxpayers in the UK, having paid a tax bill of £91.4 million that year.

In April 2025, Hargreaves nominated himself as a non-executive board member of Hargreaves Lansdown, which he is able to do as a shareholder. He also nominated his son as a board observer.

Honours Hargreaves was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to business innovation, financial services and the City of Bristol.

Politics Hargreaves financially supported the Leave.EU campaign in 2016, donating £3.2 million to the Leave.EU campaign founded by Arron Banks and wrote to 15 million UK householders asking them to support the leave campaign in the European Union membership referendum.

In May 2016, Hargreaves said that Brexit will lead to insecurity, which will turn out to be very effective. Hargreaves said that Theresa May should reassure the three million EU nationals already in the UK that their current rights would be maintained.

Hargreaves donated £1 million to the Conservatives’ election fund in 2019.

Personal life In 1986 he married Rosemary; they have one son and one daughter. They live in a Georgian property in the West Country. He owns three racehorses.