My wife, Thelma, and I live in Mill Hill, northwest London, in a five-bedroom detached family house over three floors, with a decent-sized garden. It’s located toward the bottom of a cul-de-sac with about ten houses on it. The house itself is modern. It was built in the 1960s. We’ve lived here since 1980.
Have you renovated much?
We decided to modernise it about ten to 15 years ago. We had it pretty much levelled and rebuilt. We added an extra floor at the top for the grandchildren. It has various games and a football pitch. Now that there are five of them, aged eight to 16, this has become the house that they all meet at to play football and have fun.
The Littners live in Mill Hill in northwest London
ALAMY
Do you have any other homes?
We have had a home in Marbella for 16 years. We go as frequently as we can as the weather is superb. I feel very safe in Marbella. The area is family-orientated without any aggression or unpleasantness. Our apartment is in a purpose-built luxury development right on the beach. It’s in a block of 70 apartments with swimming pools, gyms — all the amenities you could wish for.
The couple also have a home in Marbella, Spain
GETTY
You travel a lot for business. Do you enjoy this aspect of your work?
I used to travel extensively throughout Europe and in the US on business. Having been a pupil at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres, and being bilingual, I spent a lot of time in northern France as chairman of several companies. This led to Alan Sugar asking me to sort things out at Amstrad International in Paris, and then in Madrid and Upper Jutland. I also worked all over for the banks, turning around investments that were failing.
• Lord Sugar: I told my staff, ‘Get back to work. If you don’t like it, sod off!’
You’re pretty hands-on with work, then?
The nature of the job is all-embracing. I’d work ridiculous hours and expect everyone around me to do the same. The idea is to save a company and turn it around and exit, providing enhanced shareholder value. But the rule I had when I was in Europe was that I would come home every Friday and go back on Sunday. This was more problematic when my work took me to Brazil, the USA and Canada but my wife would occasionally join me in the Americas.
How did you tackle the work-life balance?
For me, it was pretty much all about work, so there wasn’t much balance. The great good fortune I’ve got is to have a fantastic wife, who looked after the home while I was away. She picked up my two sons from school and took them to football matches, among a whole host of other activities. I was more or less a weekend parent.
With his wife, Thelma
DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES
You had a life-changing bicycle accident in 2021. What happened?
The bicycle incident was a completely freak accident. I bought electric bikes for my children during Covid and we went to the woods and other local beauty spots. When they returned to work I decided to carry on that lifestyle. On this one occasion the rear mudguard caught the wheel and I was thrown into the street. Fortunately the vehicle right behind me happened to be an ambulance and the crew took me to St Mary’s trauma unit, where the excellent surgeons operated on me that night. It meant a long period of rehabilitation and I was very lucky to keep my leg. I don’t have a limp now but I’m not going to be running marathons anytime soon.
Alan Sugar, when he was owner of Tottenham Hotspur, and Littner, the club’s chief executive, in 1996
PETER TRIEVNOR FOR THE TIMES
How did you cope with going from working hard to convalescing?
When you’re damaged like that, you don’t think about work, you think about getting better. Many years ago, when I was the chief executive of Tottenham Hotspur, I had a very bad cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and was given six months to live. I spent a considerable amount of time in hospital over several years so this wasn’t my first experience of being unhinged by illness.
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Have you got back in the saddle?
We have electric bikes in Marbella as we’re lucky enough to have cycle tracks where there are absolutely no cars. It’s not very taxing, just very enjoyable, and we get some fresh air. But I’m never going to get back on a bike again in London.
Are there any projects that particularly excite you at present?
For quite a few years now I have been a trustee of Blood Cancer UK. I’m very proud to be part of this charity, which raises money for research into curing blood cancers, of which there are a hundred types. I’m always happy to visit schools and universities to talk about its work. I am also a visiting professor at the University of West London’s Claude Littner Business School, where I speak to the very academically gifted students about the world of business. I was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at the University of West London. I was hugely proud when they named this facility after me.
Karren Brady, Sugar and Littner in the BBC1 show The Apprentice
Do you have a favourite room at home?
I spend most of my time in my study because I’m never short of things to do. That said, I’m easily distracted by social media and get caught up if something interesting appears on Reuters or wherever. Before I know it, it’s lunchtime and I’ve not done a single thing on my list.
To find out more about Blood Cancer UK or to donate to the charity visit bloodcancer.org.uk