Charles Clore

Sir Charles Clore (26 December 1904 – 26 July 1979) was a British financier, retail and property magnate, and philanthropist.

[8] Clore first made money buying and selling South African film rights to a world championship boxing match between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey in 1926.

[8] In 1930 he bought Cricklewood ice rink[6] but sold this to acquire the Prince of Wales Theatre near Leicester Square.

[10] After the war, he made more acquisitions, including a shareholding in Park Royal Vehicles, a textile mill in Yorkshire, and Richard Shops (a women's fashion retailer).

He also owned Lewis's department stores (which included Selfridges), jewellers Mappin & Webb and Garrard & Co, as well as investing heavily in property.

[22][23][24] In 1964, he created the Clore Foundation, a philanthropic trust providing support in Israel and the United Kingdom for hospitals, universities and cultural organisations.

[27] It stretches across 30 acres, and families use the seaside park to celebrate birthdays and host barbecues, or even attend city-wide events such as Tel Aviv Pride.

[citation needed] In September 1980 thieves stole 19 paintings worth £3 million from Clore's Monaco apartment, including works by Renoir, Monet, Pissarro and Utrillo.