2 days ago
Prestwick podcaster joins billionaire Sir Tom Hunter in his estate for exclusive in-depth conversation
David McIntosh Jr. and his production team visited Blair Estate, HQ of The Hunter Foundation, last month.
Scotland's first home‑grown billionaire, Sir Tom Hunter, sat down with Prestwick podcaster David McIntosh Jr. for a wide-ranging podcast recorded inside 900-year-old Blair Estate.
The episode is a full‑circle moment for host David McIntosh Jr. who first met the Ayrshire billionaire 15 years ago when he visited Prestwick Academy to deliver an assembly on aspiration and resilience.
David, 26, described this talk as his "sliding-door moment".
He said: "Sir Tom walked into my school gym in bright‑white Nikes and rewired what I believed was possible for a kid from Ayrshire. Sir Tom changed the trajectory of my life that day."
Born in New Cumnock in 1961, Sir Tom founded the Sports Division and sold it for £290 million in 1998. Subsequently, he and his wife established The Hunter Foundation to channel his wealth towards philanthropic causes, donating over £150 million to various initiatives.
David grew up on a council estate, and meeting Sir Tom at the age of 11 he realised that "an idea could outrun any postcode".
Three years ago David started his podcast "Origin Story," which was a side-hustle with 1,900 downloads when Sir Tom joined him on Zoom.
David said: "He left me with a line I've quoted ever since - 'It's better to ask forgiveness than seek permission.' Last month I put it back to him."
David and his production team, consisting of Howie Gardner, Samraj Singh and Andres McNeill, visited Blair Estate, HQ of The Hunter Foundation, earlier last month to record a new episode for the podcast.
He said: "Being invited to his castle to interview him felt surreal. It is proof that geography is not destiny and postcode is not potential.
"We set our cameras in his private office: deep-green panelling, crackling fire, windows onto sweeping parkland.
"In that room we spoke about vans of trainers, scaling Sports Division to £250m exit, cashing out at 37, losing millions in 2008, why Scotland needs political reform and if Sir Tom would run for first minister and appoint a DOGE.
"I asked deeply personal questions as well, if money makes him happy, about his hardest career decision and the inexpensive items he values."
David believes that this conversation "closed the loop".
He said: "A kid who once received free school meals and clothing grants recorded in a castle office with the man who lit the fuse.
"This is a significant chapter in my origin story."
The full interview will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
