Richard Harpin: The Entrepreneur Who Built a £4.1 Billion Empire and Continues to Inspire
Few entrepreneurs manage to transform a simple idea into a global success story. Richard Harpin is one of those rare figures. Known as the founder of HomeServe, he grew a small venture into a £4.1 billion FTSE 100 company, providing home emergency and repair services to millions of customers worldwide. Beyond his corporate achievements, Harpin is also an investor, mentor, author, and philanthropist. His career journey, marked by vision, resilience, and innovation, offers a blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs across the United Kingdom and beyond.
This article explores Richard Harpin’s net worth, his family life, his role in HomeServe and HomeServe EMEA, and his ventures including Growth Partner and Business Leader. It also sheds light on his early career at Deloitte and Procter & Gamble, his education, and his enduring influence on the business landscape.
Early Life and Education
Richard David Harpin was born on 10 September 1964, making him 60 years old as of 2025. He grew up in the North of England, where his entrepreneurial instincts appeared at a young age. One of his earliest ventures was selling conkers in plastic bags to classmates, even employing friends to shake conkers from trees. This childhood experience planted the seed of business thinking and taught him the importance of scaling and delegation.
He attended the University of York, earning a BA Honours in Economics between 1983 and 1986. The foundation in economics later gave him the analytical skills to build businesses and manage large-scale financial operations.
Career Foundations: Procter & Gamble and Deloitte
Before establishing himself as a founder, Richard Harpin gained valuable corporate experience.
Procter & Gamble
From 1986 to 1990, he worked at Procter & Gamble as a Brand Manager. Here, he learned the intricacies of consumer marketing, product positioning, and customer insight — skills that would prove invaluable when launching his own venture.
Deloitte
Between 1991 and 1992, he joined Deloitte as a Senior Consultant. This role exposed him to strategic business advisory, problem-solving, and financial analysis, sharpening his ability to identify opportunities and risks in business models.
These early roles gave Harpin a blend of marketing flair and strategic thinking, both of which became cornerstones of his entrepreneurial career.
The Birth of HomeServe
In 1993, Richard Harpin co-founded HomeServe as a joint venture with South Staffordshire Water. The business began by providing plumbing repair services for household emergencies but soon expanded to cover a wide range of home assistance needs.
Over the decades, Harpin scaled HomeServe from a small UK-based startup into a multinational powerhouse with operations in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, and beyond. By offering customers peace of mind through insurance-style home cover plans and reliable repair services, HomeServe became a household name.
Growth and Success
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Floated on the stock market in 2004 after demerging from South Staffordshire Water.
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Grew into a FTSE 100 company, one of the UK’s largest listed firms.
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Expanded membership to over 8.5 million households worldwide.
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Diversified through acquisitions, including the well-known trades directory Checkatrade.
HomeServe EMEA and Transition of Leadership
For almost three decades, Richard Harpin served as Chief Executive Officer of HomeServe. In January 2023, he transitioned into the role of Non-Executive Chairman of HomeServe EMEA. This allowed him to continue influencing the business at a strategic level while stepping back from day-to-day leadership.
By early 2023, HomeServe was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management in a £4.1 billion deal. Harpin’s family held significant stakes — 7.4% for him and 4.8% for his then-wife Kate — which translated into an estimated £490 million in value.
Net Worth
According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2024, Richard Harpin’s family net worth is estimated at £670 million. This wealth primarily stems from the growth and eventual sale of HomeServe, alongside his investments in other ventures through Growth Partner.
Harpin’s fortune places him among the wealthiest self-made entrepreneurs in the UK, a testament to decades of persistence, strategic thinking, and customer-focused innovation.
Personal Life: Wife and Family
Richard Harpin was married to Kate Harpin, with whom he has three children. Together they were prominent shareholders in HomeServe. However, reports confirm that the couple later divorced around 2021. Despite his high profile in business, Harpin tends to keep his private life away from the media, focusing public attention on his entrepreneurial work and community contributions.
Growth Partner: Investing in the Next Generation
In 2015, Harpin founded Growth Partner, an investment fund created to back ambitious, founder-led businesses. Through Growth Partner, he has committed over £150 million to consumer brands such as Passenger Clothing, Stubble & Co, Gozney, and Easy Bathrooms.
This initiative reflects his passion for helping other entrepreneurs overcome the challenges he once faced, from lack of focus to running out of money. Growth Partner provides both financial backing and hands-on mentorship, making Harpin not only an investor but also a trusted guide.
Business Leader: Building a Founder Community
In 2023, Richard Harpin took another step in supporting entrepreneurship by acquiring Business Leader, a UK-based founder community and publication. Business Leader connects founders of businesses generating £3 million or more, offering networking, advice, and peer support.
Harpin regularly hosts workshops and mentoring sessions, sharing insights from his journey of building a multi-billion-pound enterprise.
Author: How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps
In 2025, Harpin released his book, How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps, which quickly became a Sunday Times bestseller. The book serves as both a memoir and a manual, outlining the practical lessons and strategies he used to create and grow HomeServe. For aspiring founders, it is positioned as a roadmap to avoid common mistakes and fast-track growth.
Awards and Recognition
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Named Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.
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Served as Chair of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year judging panel in 2011.
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Recognised multiple times in The Sunday Times Rich List.
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Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most influential voices in business.
Philanthropy and Community
Richard Harpin is also active in philanthropy. He established The Enterprise Trust in 2009, a charity promoting entrepreneurship and skills among young people. The Trust supports organisations such as Scouts, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Young Enterprise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it donated significant sums to support homelessness charities.
Beyond charity, he has invested in community projects like revitalising The Alice Hawthorn Inn, a Yorkshire village pub, and restoring a historic local ferryboat service.
Lessons from Richard Harpin’s Journey
Richard Harpin’s story offers several lessons for entrepreneurs:
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Start small, think big – even selling conkers can teach you about scale.
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Resilience matters – setbacks are inevitable, but persistence pays.
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Invest in people – success comes from building teams and empowering others.
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Share knowledge – by mentoring and writing, he ensures others can replicate success.
Conclusion
From his early days at Procter & Gamble and Deloitte to building HomeServe into a £4.1 billion giant, Richard Harpin has lived the full spectrum of the entrepreneurial journey. With an estimated net worth of £670 million, a track record of supporting founders through Growth Partner and Business Leader, and his bestselling book, he continues to shape the UK business landscape.
Richard Harpin’s story is not just one of financial success, but also of mentorship, community spirit, and a commitment to guiding the next generation of entrepreneurs. For anyone aspiring to build a lasting business, his journey stands as proof that with vision, perseverance, and the right systems, it is possible to transform even the smallest ideas into world-class enterprises.
