James Benamor

James Benamor is Managing Director of The Richmond Group, which looks after the financial needs of people who have been refused credit.

'Two or three years ago I could have walked away with enough money to have me sitting on a beach for the rest of my life. The reason I'm still here is because I want to be the best'

At 30, this competitive businessman is worth over £70 million, but only a few years ago it seemed more likely his name would crop up on police charge sheets than the Sunday Times Rich List.

'I was taking a lot of drugs… became a petty criminal really… I was a nightmare, I was a nightmare for my parents, I was a nightmare for anyone that knew me… There were several occasions when I could have ended up in prison, there were several occasions where I could have ended up in intensive care'

But James's own misspent youth has given him a passion to help disaffected young people get their lives back on track.

'What turned me from a criminal into a member of society was believing that there is a place for me there, and I'd like to be able to open those doors for someone.'

Intro | About James |  About the programme |  Music

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