D ermot Desmond is one of Ireland's most famous and shrewdest self-made billionaire investors. A former stockbroker, he founded his own brokerage firm, NCB, in the 1980s and sold it a decade later for a substantial profit. He then founded his own private equity firm, International Investment & Underwriting (IIU), which has been the vehicle for his highly successful and diverse investment career.

Desmond has a reputation as a savvy and contrarian investor, with a portfolio that has spanned a wide range of industries, from airports (he was an early and highly successful investor in London City Airport) to software and financial services. He is perhaps best known publicly as the majority shareholder of the famous Scottish soccer club, Celtic FC. He is also the co-owner of the exclusive Sandy Lane resort in Barbados. He is known for being media-shy but is one of the most powerful and influential figures in Irish finance.