How Former Rangers Directors Went From Scrapyard To £1.5bn Empire… And What Being Super-Rich Is Really Like

Quickest way to lose your fortune? ‘Buy a football club’, say billionaire Scottish brothers Sandy and James Easdale.

The siblings were the directors of Rangers for two years until 2015.

Yet despite believing that owning a football club makes you poorer, the duo are now worth just under £1.5billion, ranking 116th in this year's Sunday Times Rich List.

It has been a long road to riches from working in their dad’s scrapyard many moons ago.

They were buying property and taxis before they had even left school.

And today, they own over a dozen companies - including Britain’s largest independent bus firm, window manufacturers, 800 taxis and a huge property portfolio - and employ 3,000 people.

They have also invested in as many as 30 businesses, including a start-up sports drinks manufacturer they put money into recently that is now turning over £200million.

And they still have the scrap metal firm started by their late dad, Jim.

Despite being on the Rich List, Sandy and James admit that they still enjoy collecting scrap.

And when they bought a first edition Bentley Continental GT, the brothers put £30-worth of scrap copper piping they found in a skip in the boot of the brand-new £160,000 car.

Sandy, 56, and James, 53, have been speaking to Money Talks, The Sun’s new video series where celebrities and rich-listers chat about their finances.

Here the Easdale brothers tell us how they made their fortune, how they spend their money and give advice to budding businessmen and women.

Sandy says: “We always say ‘don’t work with boring people’.

“And we always tell people ‘don’t say I’m going to do a multi-million-pound deal’ when you’ve not got multi-millions. Work with the pocket you’ve got. It doesn’t come overnight.

“We started with smaller deals, smaller flats, smaller bits of property, some of the stuff we bought way back then we have still got 35 years on.”

James adds: “We couldn't give you a secret formula of what to do. But, get your head down and get on with it.

“I don't think there's any substitute for hard work and we just see ourselves as grafters that have done quite well.

“I don't think I was out of school, about 16, when I bought my first flat. It was nothing salubrious, cost £6,000 and I never even lived in it.

“I still stayed with my mum and dad and, in fact, Sandy and I were still sharing a tiny little bedroom with sloping ceilings. Two single beds and a small box of toys in between.

“We used to get up during the night and bump our heads.”

Sandy adds: “We grew up together very close, literally. And we've worked very closely ever since.”

When they were working together in the family scrapyard did the brothers think they would become billionaires?

This article appeared in The Scottish Sun – read the full article and watch Sandy and James Money Talks episode Here.