1967 Joins Rothmans as a management trainee.
Early 1970s Joins the Young Conservatives.
1972 Starts his own business, Michael A. Ashcroft Associates. Buys his first company for £1 in 1974 and sells it three years later for £1.3 million.
Early 1980s First introduced to Margaret Thatcher, revealing in his autobiography, Dirty Politics, Dirty Times: 'It was impossible not to be impressed by her drive and leadership.'
1981 Makes first donation to Tories of £50,000.
1983 Develops friendship with Cecil Parkinson, former Tory party chairman.
1984 Forms Belize Holdings (BHI) his major holding company that has had interests in telecommunications, financial services, electricity generation and palm oil.
1986 Marries Susan Anstey – second wife.
1987 BHI takes control of Belize Bank from the Royal Bank of Canada.
Circa 1988 Introduced to Diana, Princess of Wales. The pair go on to enjoy a 'warm friendship', according to Ashcroft's book, Dirty Politics, Dirty Times."
1990 Becomes disillusioned with the Tories after John Major takes over from Thatcher. Requests return of £3m loan.
1997 Introduced to William Hague by several Tory grandees, including Parkinson.
1998 APPOINTED TREASURER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY
1999 Settles a libel action against the Times with each side bearing its own costs. Nominated for a peerage by Hague.
2000 Appointed a life peer with the title Baron Ashcroft of Chichester in the County of West Sussex. Previously said he would take the title "Baron Ashcroft of Belize", insisting later that this had been a joke.
2004 Clashes with Tory leader Michael Howard when he offers a £2m donation on the condition that it should go to his specified candidates rather than to Conservative Central Office funds.
2005 Appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative party.
2008 The Electoral Commission begins investigation into £5.1m of donations made to the Tories by Bearwood Corporate Services, controlled by Ashcroft and owned by Belize-based Stargate Holdings.
2010 –1 March After 10 years of refusing to say what his tax status is, Ashcroft reveals he is non-domiciled for tax purposes.
4 March The Electoral Commission describes the donations as being "legal and permissible" but complains that Conservative party officials have declined to be interviewed. The House of Commons public administration select committee announces it is to hold a "special one-off inquiry" into Lord Ashcroft's peerage and his tax affairs.
... and his business interests?
That Ashcroft has been able to donate so much money to the Tories is the result of decades of business deals. By his own admission he is not someone who likes to start businesses up, but instead prefers to buy existing companies and sell them on, often for spectacular profits. His first acquisition was a loss-making cleaning company he bought for £1 and sold three years later for £1.3m. His sprawling empire quickly expanded into security and janitorial services, often run by companies based in tax havens such as Bermuda and Belize.
The temptation is to focus on his business interests in Belize where he has, over the years, owned its main telecoms company, its leading hotel, citrus interests, power generation and its offshore financial services company. Today his Belize Bank is the biggest operator in the country with about 50% of the retail market. But this would be grossly misleading. Ashcroft's empire – and by implication his influence – is global.
The Belize Bank is now the major player in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. Ashcroft companies have built major leisure complexes on the islands. Ashcroft also has interests in Panama. His holding company owns a large chunk of Numar, a large-scale palm oil manufacturer, that has extensive operations in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Closer to home, Ashcroft has a significant interest in Watford football club, which is owned by a Belize-based company, Fordwat. He has also dabbled in the UK leisure market, buying up poorly performing pubs. Another company, Biteback, has interests in the UK media – including a political website and a magazine. A television production company in which Aschroft has interests has produced documentaries on former England rugby fly-half Jonny Wilkinson and Victoria Cross holders.
His property empire spans continents. He has homes in London, the Home Counties, Florida and Belize. He owns at least two jets and a yacht. Then there are the myriad investment companies, many based offshore. One Ashcroft company, based in Bermuda, Flying Lion Ltd, owns the planes used to ferry senior Tories around the world. Stargate Holdings, based in Belize, is the ultimate owner of Bearwood Corporate Services, the UK company Ashcroft uses to make donations to the Conservative party.
Two other companies, Seashell and Bombshell, are used to make investments in the UK markets. There are many other Ashcroft-linked companies operating out of the British Virgin Islands and Jersey. He has interests in health providers and holds a significant stake in the company that owns the Priory clinic famous for treating exhausted celebrities.
His Byzantine business interests are as extensive as his political connections. In the early 1990s, Ashcroft lent the Tories money from a company called Lanners Services and has gone on to become the party's most generous benefactor. His wife, Susan, has donated more than £500,000. He has been a major financial supporter of both main parties in Belize. He is close to politicians in New Zealand and donated A$1m (£600,000) to the Australian Liberal party in 2004, the biggest individual gift in its history. He is also the treasurer of the International Democratic Union, which promotes centre-right policies around the globe and whose luminaries include Lady Thatcher and George Bush Snr.
... and his business interests?
That Ashcroft has been able to donate so much money to the Tories is the result of decades of business deals. By his own admission he is not someone who likes to start businesses up, but instead prefers to buy existing companies and sell them on, often for spectacular profits. His first acquisition was a loss-making cleaning company he bought for £1 and sold three years later for £1.3m. His sprawling empire quickly expanded into security and janitorial services, often run by companies based in tax havens such as Bermuda and Belize.
The temptation is to focus on his business interests in Belize where he has, over the years, owned its main telecoms company, its leading hotel, citrus interests, power generation and its offshore financial services company. Today his Belize Bank is the biggest operator in the country with about 50% of the retail market. But this would be grossly misleading. Ashcroft's empire – and by implication his influence – is global.
The Belize Bank is now the major player in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. Ashcroft companies have built major leisure complexes on the islands. Ashcroft also has interests in Panama. His holding company owns a large chunk of Numar, a large-scale palm oil manufacturer, that has extensive operations in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Closer to home, Ashcroft has a significant interest in Watford football club, which is owned by a Belize-based company, Fordwat. He has also dabbled in the UK leisure market, buying up poorly performing pubs. Another company, Biteback, has interests in the UK media – including a political website and a magazine. A television production company in which Aschroft has interests has produced documentaries on former England rugby fly-half Jonny Wilkinson and Victoria Cross holders.
His property empire spans continents. He has homes in London, the Home Counties, Florida and Belize. He owns at least two jets and a yacht. Then there are the myriad investment companies, many based offshore. One Ashcroft company, based in Bermuda, Flying Lion Ltd, owns the planes used to ferry senior Tories around the world. Stargate Holdings, based in Belize, is the ultimate owner of Bearwood Corporate Services, the UK company Ashcroft uses to make donations to the Conservative party.
Two other companies, Seashell and Bombshell, are used to make investments in the UK markets. There are many other Ashcroft-linked companies operating out of the British Virgin Islands and Jersey. He has interests in health providers and holds a significant stake in the company that owns the Priory clinic famous for treating exhausted celebrities.
His Byzantine business interests are as extensive as his political connections. In the early 1990s, Ashcroft lent the Tories money from a company called Lanners Services and has gone on to become the party's most generous benefactor. His wife, Susan, has donated more than £500,000. He has been a major financial supporter of both main parties in Belize. He is close to politicians in New Zealand and donated A$1m (£600,000) to the Australian Liberal party in 2004, the biggest individual gift in its history. He is also the treasurer of the International Democratic Union, which promotes centre-right policies around the globe and whose luminaries include Lady Thatcher and George Bush Snr.
