CANDY CRUSH
Meet Chelsea bidder Nick Candy, who married ex-Neighbours star Holly Valance and owns London penthouse worth £175m
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NICK CANDY is the latest billionaire reportedly eyeing up a takeover at Chelsea.
The British tycoon is said to be ready to test Roman Abrambovich's resolve by bidding £2.5billion for his boyhood club, which would include a £1.5billion redevelopment of the ageing Stamford Bridge.
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The 47-year-old Londoner amassed his fortune alongside his older brother Christian as a luxury property developer, and owns several high-profile buildings around the world.
He owns a mansion in West London worth over £75million, and added a Cotswold country home to his portfolio last year.
Used to the high-life, he had a £60million super yacht but sold it to make room for a much bigger boat.
Famously, he has been married to ex-Neighbours beauty Holly Valance since 2012, and they have two children together.
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Money bags
The Candy brothers were both spurred on to follow a career in property development, when they bought their first home in Earl's Court, London, following a £6,000 loan from their grandmother.
They paid £122,000 for the flat, renovated it, and 18 months later sold it for £172,000 - making a tidy £50,000 profit.
At the same time, they were working day jobs too - Nick worked in advertising, while Christian held a job at investment bank Merrill Lynch.
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Eventually, they were able to give those jobs up to move into property development full-time.
In 2004, they joined forces with a private company owned by the Prime Minister of Qatar to buy Bowater House in Knightsbridge, turning it into One Hyde Park, which now houses Rolex, McLaren Automotive and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank businesses.
A tower of 86 luxury apartments were also built, with some penthouses sold fetching the highest prices on record.
Nick had his own five-bedroom penthouse in One Hyde Park, which was placed on the market last year for a mega £175million.
Measuring in at 18,000 square feet, it boasts its own spa, gym, cocktail bar, 'champagne room', wine cellar for 750 bottles, media room, two 'wrap-around' outdoor terraces, and heated underground parking spaces for four cars.
It's not known if it was sold, but Nick didn't waste any time in nabbing another property.
Last year, he splashed over £10million on a stunning Grade II‑listed mansion in Oxfordshire.
The country pad has seven bedrooms, a pool, stables, tennis and squash courts and its own chapel.
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Neighbours include Kate Moss, JCB tycoon Lord Bamford, Hugh Grant and the Beckhams.
"We're very immersed in our quiet country life at weekends and adore the friendly and welcoming village," he told .
Amazing yacht
Back in 2020, Nick also reportedly listed his fancy super yacht '11.11', the birth date of his daughter, for £53.5million.
However, it appears there have been no takers so far - with the vessel still appearing for sale online.
Built in 2015 by Benetti, it boasts six cabins for 12 guests with a crew of 16 people.
If it hasn't sold, you can bet it may have been chartered.
But for the privilege, it would cost nearly £600,000 for a week.
The incredible yacht also features a helipad, limo tender, fours bars and two main bedroom suites.
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Stunning missus
Candy's companion to share his riches with is ex-Aussie soap star Holly Valance.
The former FHM pin-up, now 38, and Nick met in 2009 at a mutual friend's dinner party in Los Angeles.
"I didn’t know anything about him. I just thought 'Cor, if I didn’t fancy you so much, we’d be the best of friends. Instead, I want to make out with you all the time,'" she said.
Then she saw his super yacht. She revealed: "When I saw the boat for the first time, I was stunned and said: 'Oh dear God! It’s a mansion on the water. It’s incredible'."
Valance moved to London shortly after appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.
Nick soon proposed on a romantic getaway in the Maldives in a five-star luxury resort.
The pair said their 'I do's' in 2012 in a £3million ceremony in Beverly Hills.
Katy Perry was their wedding singer, reportedly paid around £1.2million to perform at the nuptials, while Simon Cowell was also a guest.
Although she flirted with a pop career and has continued acting, Holly now appears focused on motherhood.
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They have two daughters together, Luka, 8, and Nova, 4, and divide their time between the countryside and London.
Perhaps Nick's next baby might come in the shape of a football club.
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