The most successful The Apprentice winner ever has been revealed as Lord Alan Sugar completes his search for his new business partner, with two finalists remaining in the competition.
Marnie Swindells and Rochelle Raye Anthony will compete in the final week after surviving the dreaded interview round with an all-female final five for the second year in a row.
They’ll be following in the footsteps of Tim Campbell, the first ever winner who received Lord Sugar’s investment in 2005 before becoming his aide, replacing Claude Littner in addition to Baroness Karren Brady.
Last year, Harpreet Kaur won the series, defeating Kathryn Burn in the final, who recently told Metro.co.uk that despite finishing runner-up, her business is thriving like never before.
But who is the most successful winner in history?
Ricky Martin, series 8
According to research undertaken by UK financial services firm CMC markets, Series eight winner Ricky Martin has shown to be the most successful, using ‘the latest financial records from Endole to determine the latest report of net assets in each of The Apprentice winners’ enterprises.
Ricky won the competition in 2012 and got a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar in his recruiting firm, Hyper Recruitment Solutions.
His agency currently has £2.26 million in net assets, making him the most successful winner.
Tom Pellereau, series 7
Series seven winner Tom Pellereau comes in second, with a net worth of £1.37 million for his cosmetics company Stylideas.
Lord Sugar made Tom the first winner to get a £250,000 investment in his firm, since the previous six winners all found jobs.
Tom caught the country and left us with lots of unforgettable moments throughout his time on the program, from exclaiming “postcard” in French during a humorous taxi trip to his withering stares.
Dr Leah Totton, series 10
Dr. Leah Totton is the series nine champion and the third most successful, with a chain of cosmetic surgery clinics worth £664,490 in net assets.
The junior doctor-turned-businesswoman won the series with a proposal to build a network of drop-in cosmetic surgery businesses, and she built her first store with Lord Alan Sugar’s £250,000 loan, which assisted with equipment, goods, rent on a premises, and personnel costs.
After finishing The Apprentice, she told Metro.co.uk that it seemed like she was in ‘Big Brother,’ describing the’surreal’ experience.
Alana Spencer, series 12
Alana Spencer’s series 12 business is ranked fourth.
Ridiculously Rich by Alana, a firm that specialised in handcrafted cakes and chocolates, reported £494,740 in net assets in its most recent report.
In 2019, it was stated Lord Sugar dissolved his commercial affiliation with Alana, in an amicable fashion, with the billionaire declaring he will ‘follow Alana’s growth with great affection.’
Mark Wright, series 10
Series ten winner Mark Wright owns the firm with the fifth greatest net assets, Climb Online, a digital marketing agency.
According to their most recent report, Climb Online has £471,940 in net assets, however he stepped down as CEO in 2022 when he sold to agency xDNA.
Mark indicated that he will remain a stakeholder and board member, and expressed excitement about ‘seeing what xDNA and our fantastic team achieve next.’
Carina Lepore, series 15
Carina Lepore comes in sixth place after winning season 15 of The Apprentice in 2019, becoming Lord Sugar’s business partner before Harpreet.
A spokesperson for CMC Markets commented on the research: ‘As Lord Sugar is set to pick his latest winner, it is interesting to look back at past winners and their businesses to see how Lord Sugar’s investment made a difference.
‘Not only can the investment from Lord Sugar be transformative for many contestants’ business but the brand recognition from being featured on the show can also greatly increase the winner’s chances of successfully running their business, even many years after appearing on the series.’
The Apprentice Final airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Source My Celebrity Life.
