Tom Pellereau, the first winner of “The Apprentice” who secured an equity stake from Lord Sugar, has regained full ownership of his company after buying out Lord Sugar’s 50 percent stake.
The deal, agreed 14 years after the original investment, returns Styl Pro to 100 percent ownership by the founders and marks the end of one of the show’s longest-running business partnerships. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Pellereau founded Styl Pro in 2011 after winning The Apprentice when Lord Sugar invested £250,000 for a half share in the company. The deal was a milestone for the BBC series, which had previously offered winners a paid role in Lord Sugar’s organization before moving to an investment and partnership model.
Since its launch, Styl Pro has become one of the UK’s fastest-selling electric beauty tech brands, known for products such as automated makeup brush cleaners and skincare devices. The company will continue to operate under Pellereau’s leadership, with him remaining as founder and CEO.
Lord Sugar said it was the right time to step down and allow Pellereau to pursue the business independently. “Fourteen years after investing in Tom, I have agreed with Tom’s decision to buy back my shares and return sole ownership to him,” he said. “When I first met Tom he was a naive inventor with ideas and drive, but he desperately needed my business help. He went on to build one of the UK’s top-selling electronic beauty tech brands. Now is the right time to part ways and allow Tom and his team to take the company to new heights.”
Pellereau described the move as a natural next step in the company’s evolution while acknowledging Lord Sugar’s role in its success. “I will always be so grateful to Lord Sugar for the investment and potential he saw in me and my inventions,” he said. “His time, knowledge and leadership were invaluable. Although now is the right time to regain full responsibility for my company, I look back with deep gratitude and fond memories on the amazing journey we have taken together over the past 14 years.”
The acquisition ends one of The Apprentice’s most iconic success stories and positions Styl Pro for its next phase of growth as a fully founder-led company.
