Sunday Times | Fame And fortune Simon Newton
BUSY BODY I’m a celeb bodyguard who’s protected stars like Kendall Jenner and Michael Jackson – they all face this sinister threat
I saved a client from having their hand cut off for a watch. Often happens
The former soldier protected oil tankers from pirates and was a bodyguard for Michael Jackson. Now he wants to be in a Bond film, he tells Nick McGrat
Simon Newton served in the British Army during the early 2000s, then as a close protection officer in Afghanistan for the Foreign Office and in the Indian Ocean protecting crude oil tankers from pirates. He has been a bodyguard to Michael Jackson, Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid. In 2009 he launched his own private security company, Askari, whose clients include British MPs and Middle Eastern royalty. Since 2016 he has also modelled for men’s magazines and appeared in films such as Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. He grew up in Eastbourne but now lives alone in London.
How Much Is In Your Wallet?
I don’t have a wallet. I don’t carry cash, I pretty much only use a debit card or Apple Pay on my phone. Any bigger transactions I’ll do from the banking app on my phone. I’ve done a lot of travelling for work and if you need some cash to get out of a spot of trouble it’s going to be a massive amount of the local currency, so usually it’s not worth carrying that. On some occasions I have had to pay way over the odds using pounds or euros to resolve a problem.
What Credit Cards Do You Use?
I don’t have any credit cards. I don’t have any loans. I don’t have a mortgage. I don’t have anything, and my credit rating is probably zero. Everything I do have, including my car and my house, I own outright. I’m not anti-debt and I did have a mortgage for a short time, but I managed to pay it off quickly and I’ve never been in the position where I actually needed credit.
Are You A Saver Or A Spender?
Both. I save as much as I spend and when I do spend I’m quite careful. I don’t go out and spend ridiculous amounts of money on things, and whatever financial situation I’m in I’ll always save something every month without fail, even if it’s a pound. My earnings fluctuate so I don’t have a regular direct debit, but I always remember to put something into a savings account every month.
How Much Did You Earn Last Year?
I take salaries and dividends from my two businesses. My security business Askari Secure Ltd has recovered now after falling off a cliff during Covid. Events stopped overnight, although bodyguard work for private residences kept us afloat. Before Covid our turnover was anything up to £3 million a year. Before setting up the security business I freelanced as a bodyguard looking after celebrities like Michael Jackson, Rita Ora, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. I did a two-week job with Michael Jackson in 2006. I took him to the World Music awards. It was sponsored by Topshop, who opened the Oxford Street branch at midnight so he could choose his outfit. Weirdly he “forgot” to wear it on the night. I never got to the bottom of why.
I’d be paid about £650 a day, or only about £350 a day if it was a block of work for a week. Security is valued in America more highly, so over there you might get £1,500 a day. When I was first doing bodyguard work in the Middle East aged 23, straight after I’d left the army, I was earning £10,000 a month, which meant I could save very quickly to put a £70,000 deposit on a flat in Eastbourne. People assume that if you’re working for celebrities you get huge tips, but that’s not the case as their management and record companies pay the bill, not them. Clients from Russia or Dubai or rich Saudi families do tip but not as much as you’d think. I got a £2,000 tip once, but it wasn’t cash and had to be declared. I know some bodyguards who got watches or cars or even houses.
My main focus is my acting career, so I also own a production company, which I’ve pumped about £100,000 into. I’m a new actor so I’m not earning loads of money. I might get anything from £350 to £1,000 a day. My ambition is to be in a Bond movie. As long as I’m not the hot dog seller I’d be delighted to be in one of those. With all my various interests my annual salary yo-yo’s a bit and can be anything from £150,000 a year to £300,000 or £400,000.
Have you ever been really hard up?
I wasn’t flush when I was in the army. I used to get about £1,800 a month but had no bills as I lived on camp. The only expenses I had were running a car. The rest I spent on going out and drinking at weekends. But I do remember going into supermarkets and looking at prices and working out what I could afford.
Do You Own A Property?
I own a split-level flat by Eastbourne station, which cost £150,000 at the time. I put a £70,000 deposit down and paid the rest off within a couple of years. I’m currently renting in Battersea but want to buy something in Surrey.
Are You Better Off Than Your Parents?
I think so. They’re both retired with state pensions but they’re doing OK. Growing up we weren’t poor but we were working class. My father was a firefighter and mum didn’t have a job really, apart from a bit of work as a parttime cleaner. It was only me and my sister, but we never had loads of money. We had sandwiches at lunchtime and couldn’t afford school dinners. But I’ve always known how to make money and enjoyed making money. From the age of six I sold Donald Duck stickers at school. I bought a roll for a fiver and sold them for 75p each. I got shut down because kids were sticking them all over the school. I learnt at an early age that if you buy something and sell it for more you make money.
Do You Invest In Shares?
I don’t but I’m looking to. I’ll do it myself, but I won’t do anything until I’m 100 percent sure.
What Is Better For Retirement – Property Or Pension?
Cash in the bank for me. Being mortgage-free obviously helps when you retire but I think cash is going to keep me afloat. And I doubt I’ll ever retire.
What Has Been Your Best Investment?
The only thing I’ve really made any money on is that place in Eastbourne. I’ve made about £100,000 on that but over 16 years, so not a massive amount. In London it would have made half a million pounds at least.
And The Worst?
Cars. Always a bad investment, although I’ve never regretted buying one. I lost about £20,000 on a Mercedes C63 AMG. I had it for about two years, but I loved it every day I got in it so that’s just the price you pay for that pleasure.
What Is The Most Extravagant Thing You Have Bought?
Watches. I don’t wear jewellery, but I like a nice watch. The most I’ve paid is £26,000 for a gold Omega Seamaster. Even though I’m a big guy I’m still careful about wearing it out. I’ve never had anyone try to mug me for it, but I’ve been looking after people when it’s happened. Once on Park Lane I saved a client from getting his hand cut off — these robbers on mopeds sped up to him outside the Dorchester Hotel and were going to saw his hand off with a battery disc cutter to steal the watch. I managed to grab the guy and drag him into the lobby. It happens all the time. That or acid in the face.
What Is Your Money Weekness?
I get ready-made protein drinks from the gym that cost about £2.50 each, even though I have big bags of protein at
home that last me months. I drink one every day so I could save £100 a month easily. It’s just laziness. I do splash out on expensive trainers too. I’ve got a pair that cost £800.
What Is Your Finantial Priority?
Earn more. It’s not about getting the money, it’s about how I’m making it. If I’m making more it means I’m making more movies, and if I’m making more from security it means that’s growing.
What If You Won The Lottery?
Unlike some people who moan about never winning, I do actually do the lottery every week. My biggest win is about £600. If I actually won the jackpot I’d buy a house in central London and invest more in my film production company. I wouldn’t just live off the winnings.
Do You Support Any Charities?
I do a little bit for ex-military charities and my security company has done some bits and pieces for Children in Need. There’s so many I want to help.
What Is The Most Important Thing You Have Learnt About Money?
To learn a lesson you need to be bad at something and I’ve not been bad with money so I don’t feel I’ve learnt many
lessons. In terms of financial rules, the one I follow is simply: if I can’t afford it, I won’t buy it. If I really need it, I’ll just work harder to be able to buy it.
Simon Newton will appear in Crossfire (Shogun films), which is due out this year.
Original article by – Nick McGrat