After quitting school at the age of 15, entrepreneurial Lewis went to work for his dad’s catering company.
Lewis began managing a super-club called The Talk of the Town – where the likes of Frank Sinatra performed – in the 1960s, and granted girl group The Nolans their first live show.
He then got a taste for business and took over the firm – turning it into a string of restaurants before flogging it in 1979 for a whopping £30million.
Lewis used his cash influx to invest in currency trading and was subbed The Boxer in a nod to his wild success and power in the investment ring.
Lewis forked out £22million in 2001 to buy a controlling stake in Tottenham Hotspur from Lord Sugar.
One particular investment on Black Wednesday in September 1992 helped elevate him to uber-rich status, as he successfully bet on the Pound crashing out of the European Exchange Rate as Britain tried to align it with other Euro countries.
He became a billionaire overnight – and the financial magic trick worked again years later with a big short against the Mexican peso.
Along the way, Lewis founded Bahamas-based investment firm Tavistock Group – which he has propelled into one of the most dominant private equity firms in the world.
But it’s not been all work and no play for Lewis, who has spent eye-watering sums on luxury items – homes, art and a superyacht worth £190million, which can house up to 16 guests.
In 2022, Lewis made history by selling David Hockney’s 1972 piece, ‘Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Tool Figures)’.
Having owned the piece since 1995, Lewis auctioned it off for £70.3million – setting a new record for artwork by a living artist.
However, his life of glamour, football and boats all came crashing down when US prosecutors charged him with insider trading and conspiracy in July, 2023.
They accused him of tipping off his girlfriend, jet pilots and other members of his inner circle with insider secrets that helped them make millions over several years.
On January 24, 2024, he pleaded guilty to security fraud and was made to pay a huge fine before being pardoned by Trump in 2025.