Sir Lloyd Dorfman: A knight of the realm of business (and the founder of Travelex)
Episode 13 of the 'Can I ask you a personal question?' podcast
Hi there.
We’ve just put out the third episode of series two, in which we interview Sir Lloyd Dorfman (available on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever else you get your podcasts).
Today, Sir Lloyd is a renowned (and knighted) businessman, investor and philanthropist with a net worth of £720m (Sunday Times Rich List estimate).
So it is fascinating to hear him speak about the humble beginnings of Travelex, the foreign exchange retail business that made him his fortune (details below).
If you’re enjoying the podcast or this email newsletter, please consider sharing it with a friend or colleague – we’d really appreciate the support.
Backed by a loan from a family friend, Sir Lloyd started Travelex as a single bureau de change in central London in his early 20s.
“Did you work in it?” I ask him around five minutes into the interview.
He laughs.
“Not only did I work in it – I mean – I was it. For the first three months: seven days a week, 12 hours a day – all there was was me. And I used to have to shut the shop to go to the toilet in the hotel next door because there was no loo in the shop.”
Please do have listen. If you enjoy the episode, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts and telling your friends or colleagues about the podcast.