18-05-2025
Billionaire's holiday home in stunning Welsh village with a 'bloody awful' caveat
Billionaire's holiday home in stunning Welsh village with a 'bloody awful' caveat
He described the coastal spot as Wales' Côte d'Azur
Simon Nixon, the co-founder of
(Image: Western Mail )
Billionaire Simon Nixon, who made his fortune through the website has been crowned as the second-richest man in Wales, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The tech entrepreneur co-founded the website in 1993. However, before the website and the billions, Mr Nixon grew up in Flintshire, North Wales, although he was born in Lincolnshire. Mr Nixon went on to make his company public in 2007, and had sold all his shares in by 2016.
The billionaire had indicated an intention to leave Britain to Cheshire Live as the weather here was 'bloody awful'.
He said at the time: 'I have been looking. For a long time I have wanted to spend more time in a climate where the weather is better. The whole point of having financial independence is to enhance your standard of living.
'Don't get me wrong, if I could combine a higher standard of living with lower tax that would be an advantage.' Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here
Mr Nixon is reported to have moved from Chester in England to Jersey in 2013, where he owns a multi-million dollar home, according to Forbes.
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Mr Nixon presently has investments in Monzo, and also makes money from his holiday home website Simon Escapes where he rents out his personal collection of luxury homes around the world from Cornwall to Malibu.
The billionaire who is currently worth £1.95bn of propertY around the globe and also owns a luxury pad in Wales.
Abersoch is an in-demand destination in Wales
(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live )
He bought the Borth Cottage in Abersoch, Gwynedd in around 2011, hailing the location as Wales' Côte d'Azur.
After shelling out over £1.2m on a makeover for the property, the billionaire had hoped that this luxurious property would help local businesses in the area.
Speaking to Wales Online in 2013 , Mr Nixon said that if her had wanted to make money, he would have invested in something else.
He said at the time: 'I want the area to prosper and do well. For me, if the area becomes an all-year round place for tourists that would be my goal.'
Mr Nixon also believed that Abersoch's Coconut Kitchen was among the best Thai restaurants around.
He said: 'All the fish comes from the local area, the cafes are great too and so is the surfing school.
'There are so many good facilities around that I would like to see people use – have the cafes open all year round, for example.'
Though the property was initially meant to be a residence for the billionaire, but he decided against it, as he said: 'I would have felt really guilty about this. Properties are meant to be lived in – they need to breathe, and it isn't good for the area if nobody is around.
'Now people will be there for about 45 weeks of the year, people who appreciate and respect the house and its location.'
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Mr Nixon's luxury lets can be rented out as part of his Simon's Escapes business.
