The Candy Brothers: Redefining Super-Prime
Nick and Christian Candy started with a £6,000 loan to renovate a flat. They ended up building One Hyde Park, creating the most expensive residential development in the world.
In 1995, brothers Nick and Christian Candy borrowed £6,000 from their grandmother to buy a £122,000 one-bedroom flat in Earl's Court. While living in it during the renovation, they sold it 18 months later for a £50,000 profit. This small victory laid the foundation for the most glamorous property development firm of the 2000s: Candy & Candy.
One Hyde Park
The brothers realised that the global super-rich wanted London properties, but they didn't want the hassle of managing draughty Victorian townhouses. They wanted the convenience of a five-star hotel with unprecedented security. Partnering with the Qatari royal family, the Candys developed One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge.
Completed in 2011, it featured bulletproof glass, panic rooms, iris-recognition lifts, and a secret underground tunnel to the adjacent Mandarin Oriental hotel for room service. Penthouses sold for over £130 million each. The project completely redefined the global 'super-prime' property market, proving that for billionaires, security and extreme luxury command virtually limitless premiums.