David Clowes built his business career in property, through a family company founded by his father, Charles W. Clowes. Clowes Developments’ public figures give a sense of the group’s scale, but they do not establish David Clowes’s personal net worth. The company became involved with Derby County in 2022, first acquiring the company that owned Pride Park Stadium and then finalizing an agreement to buy the club.
How David Clowes built his business background
Clowes Developments traces its origins to CWC Group, which it says Charles W. Clowes founded on 17 September 1964. The company says his portfolio grew across industrial, office, retail and residential developments at more than 120 sites. These are accounts published by Clowes Developments on its Our Story page.
According to the company, after Charles died in 2015, David Clowes became chairman and Thomas Clowes became managing director. That history describes a family business passed across generations; it does not, by itself, disclose the value of David Clowes’s personal holdings.
What the company’s figures say—and what they do not
Clowes Developments displays £300 million in assets, 18,000 consented residential plots and a 3,000-acre development pipeline on its company profile. The page does not give a valuation date or accounting basis for the asset figure, so it should be read as the company’s displayed figure, not a current audited valuation or a personal fortune estimate. The plots and pipeline indicate development scale, not cash or assets owned outright by David Clowes.
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For the year ended 31 March 2025, Clowes Developments reported turnover of £147.1 million and operating profit before exceptional items of £5.4 million in its 2025 financial results. The company said property-valuation movements were the main reason for the year’s operating-profit shortfall and also affected the previous year’s comparison. These are group performance figures, not David Clowes’s personal income.
| Measure | Reported figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | £300 million; date and accounting basis not stated by Clowes Developments | Figure displayed on the company’s undated profile, not an established personal net-worth figure. |
| Turnover | £147.1 million for the year ended 31 March 2025 | Clowes Developments group revenue. |
| Operating profit | £5.4 million before exceptional items for the year ended 31 March 2025 | Clowes Developments group operating profit, not an individual’s earnings. |
| Consented residential plots | 18,000; date not stated by Clowes Developments | Development scale, not a measure of personal wealth. |
| Development pipeline | 3,000 acres; date not stated by Clowes Developments | Land in the company’s stated pipeline, not necessarily owned outright or readily saleable. |
How Clowes became involved with Derby County
The takeover unfolded in two stages in June and July 2022. On 24 June, Clowes Developments announced that it had purchased the company owning Pride Park Stadium, provided an interim loan to Derby County and planned to submit a bid for the club.
In an open letter dated 1 July 2022, David Clowes said the agreement to buy Derby County had been finalized. Identifying himself as the club’s owner, he wrote: “It is with an immense sense of pride that I write to you having finalised our agreement to buy Derby County and end nine months of uncertainty and fear over the future of our club.” He described himself as a lifelong supporter and said his focus was stabilizing the club. The letter is available on Derby County’s website.
What public records say about ownership
Derby County’s current ownership page identifies Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd as the club’s owner and David Clowes and Richard Tavernor as directors on the board.
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Companies House records a change in the club company’s person with significant control: Derby County (The Rams) Holdings Limited was notified as becoming a person with significant control of Derby County (The Rams) Limited from 12 May 2025, while Clowes Developments (UK) Limited ceased to be recorded in that capacity. The notification was filed on 14 May 2025. Companies House cautions that it does not check the accuracy of information filed. The registry entry and the club’s ownership page are different records with different descriptions; neither summary alone establishes the complete beneficial-ownership or economic-control structure.
Separately, Companies House lists The Clowes Trust 2014 as an active person with significant control of Clowes Developments (UK) Limited, with control over at least 75% of shares and voting rights through trustees. That corporate-control entry is another reason not to treat the company’s assets as David Clowes’s personal property.
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Is David Clowes’s net worth publicly known?
The available primary material does not establish a verified personal net-worth estimate for David Clowes. Company assets, revenue, operating profit and development pipeline cannot be converted into an individual’s fortune without knowing, among other things, how assets and liabilities are held and what personal share of the business could be realized. A precise net-worth figure or ranking would therefore go beyond what these public figures support.
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