Life and Career
Madejski was born Robert John Hurst on 28 April 1941, in Stoke-on-Trent, as a result of a wartime fling, being initially placed with a foster family. While still a baby, Hurst was moved back to his mother's home town of Reading and placed in a children's home. His mother later married a Polish Second World War airman, with Hurst eventually coming to live with them and adopting his stepfather's surname of Madejski (Hurst's biological father had started another family).
While on holiday in Florida in the mid 1970s Madejski saw a car sales magazine that included pictures of the vehicles on sale. He immediately realised the potential of the idea with the help of his business partner Paul Gibbons and founded Thames Valley Trader in 1976. Initially the magazine advertised anything and everything, from houses to cars and even aircraft, but it soon concentrated solely on vehicles, and was renamed Auto Trader. Madejski partnered with the Guardian Media Group in 1982 to give the title national exposure. By 1998, 52 titles were being published with a combined circulation of more than 700,000. In 1998 he sold his company Hurst Publishing for £174 million
In 1990, Madejski donated £500,000 to the Trustees of the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel Trust. The donation was crucial to the fund-raising effort and enabled the Trustees to build the War Memorial Chapel, dedicated to the 255 fallen of the Falkand Islands War: it is situated in the grounds of Pangbourne College and was opened by the Queen in 2000.
Madejski became chairman of the Football League club Reading F.C. in 1990, and has given his name to the club's Madejski Stadium, built in 1998 with £25 million largely contributed by him. He plucked Reading from the jaws of the receivers, and now owns 98 per cent of the club he rescued. He said "When Robert Maxwell was alive I offered him five pounds a share. When he fell off his boat I got them for 10p. Funny old life isn't it?". In 2006 he led the Royals to the top tier of English football for the first time in their 135-year history, and has since proposed plans for an expansion of the stadium to 38,000 seats. Having guided Reading to the Premier League Madejski is ready to sell up, so long as the offer is a good one, saying:
“ | The brand is getting stronger all the time and if there is a billionaire who wants a nice accessory down the M4 then come and talk to me. Apart from Manchester United, unless you've got a sugar daddy with really deep pockets, you're wasting your time. | ” |
Madejski has since added that Reading's next owner will have to be super-yacht rich. "I'll listen to sensible offers – but from billionaires only. Millionaires need not apply."
The club achieved pre-tax profits of £6.6m during the tax year ending in June 2007 and the club has recently been valued at £100 million.
He is also a benefactor to the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London and in 2004 had the John Madejski Fine Rooms at Burlington House named after him in recognition of a contribution of £3 million to the institution. A sculpture by Edgar Degas, La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans, he purchased at Sotheby's in 2004 was on display in the John Madejski Fine Rooms; it was sold in February 2009 for £13.3 million. The John Madejski Centre for Reputation at Henley Management College, the new garden at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a lecture theatre at the University of Reading and a gallery at the Museum of Reading also bear his name. He has recently contributed to the running of Thamesbridge College, Reading, which re-opened in September 2006 under the new name of the John Madejski Academy.
Madejski has said he is not particularly concerned about how this might appear adding "People can think what they like about me. I don't care. It's never been a popularity contest. I do it all for the community. In my view, you start life with nothing and you end it with nothing. I'd like to enjoy it all before I kick the bucket." His most recent project was a £500m redevelopment of Reading town centre, but this has been halted by the credit crunch.
Madejski is active in politics: he has contributed extensively to the Conservative Party and was vociferous in his calls for the removal of the then party leader Iain Duncan Smith in 2003.
He owns a large number of luxury cars, including a couple of Rolls-Royces, two Bentleys, four Jaguars, an AC Cobra and a pair of Ferraris, including a red 328 which sits inside a glass case in the gym of his home. He owns a personal numberplate that reads 1 JM.
Madejski has two children, but has never married. He made front-page headlines in UK tabloid newspapers in October 2004 due to his alleged romantic attachment with singer and TV star Cilla Black. The pair became friends due to their mutual affiliation with the Conservative Party. On 3 March 2007, Madejski was shown on the BBC programme Match of the Day seated between Cilla and Chris Tarrant watching the Reading F.C. game against Arsenal F.C. at the Emirates Stadium. He is often seen watching football games at Reading's Madejski Stadium with celebrities such as Jennifer Saunders and Lenny Henry.
On 21 January 2012 it was announced that John Madejski planned to relinquish control of the club by selling a 51% stake to a Russian consortium (Thames Sports Investments) headed by Anton Zingarevich for £40m. Madejski announced that as part of the deal he would continue as chairman for at least another two years followed by becoming honorary life president of the club. Madejski's reign as owner of the club officially ended on 29 May 2012 when the takeover deal was completed.
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