He learned to fly at 15 and wanted a career in the Royal Air Force but the health of his father meant he instead took a graduate position with National Cash Register Company in their electronic processing division.
[2] Rigby has maintained control of the company over 40 years of sustained growth [3][4] and has seen SCC's turnover rise to £2.038 billion (2005).
In April 2010 Rigby's Patriot Aviation Group bought Coventry Airport,[8] with a view to moving from freight-only to serving business passengers and helicopters.
Although his net worth has increased through the acquisition of European IT companies, his position on the rich list has slipped from a peak of 61st in 2003.
[citation needed] The Birmingham Post also publishes a rich list of residents of the West Midlands; Rigby was at number 11 in 2017 with an estimated net worth of £850 million.