He is credited with inventing the modern, stand-alone media-buying agency in the 1970s, which grew into the Tempus network. Some 25 years later, Ingram is reported to have netted a personal fortune of £64m for his trouble when he sold Tempus for £430m – not bad for someone who began his advertising career as a messenger boy.
Many would have sailed off into the sunset at this point but lying on a beach was never his style. Ingram’s wealth allowed him to become a serial investor and art collector, as well as indulging his love of football by financially bailing out his local team, Woking FC.
His philanthropy includes a family charity, the Ingram Trust, and he has financially supported, amongst others, housing charity Shelter and the London School of Economics. The media business remains a passion, and Ingram invests in fledging media firms through his own venture capital fund, Ingram Enterprise.
