The Sainsbury family (also Lord Sainsbury and family and incorrectly the Sainsbury's family) founded Sainsbury's, the UK's second-largest supermarket chain. Today, the family has many interests, including business, politics, philanthropy, arts, and sciences.
Principal members of the founding family of the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's are:
John James Sainsbury (c.1844 – c.1928), co-founder of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain
Mary Ann Sainsbury née Staples (c.1849 – c.1927), wife of John James Sainsbury and co-founder of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain
John Benjamin Sainsbury (1871–1956), eldest son of John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury
Alan John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury (1902–1998), son of John Benjamin Sainsbury, a Labour life peer 1962 as Lord Sainsbury
John Davan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG (1927-), son of Alan Sainsbury, a Conservative life peer (Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover), married to former ballerina Anya Linden
The Hon. Sarah Sainsbury, daughter of John Davan Sainsbury, married to Hon. Robert Butler-Sloss, son of Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss
The Hon. John Julian Sainsbury, son of John Davan Sainsbury
The Hon. Mark Sainsbury, son of John Davan Sainsbury
The Hon. Simon Sainsbury (1930–2006), son of Alan Sainsbury, quiet philanthropist who gave away £100 million. Entered into a civil partnership with Stewart Grimshaw shortly before his death.
The Right Honourable Sir Timothy Sainsbury (1932-), son of Alan Sainsbury, former Tory MP and Minister, married to Susan Mary Sainsbury (formerly Mitchell) (1939-)
Camilla Sainsbury, daughter of Timothy Sainsbury, married to Conservative, then Labour, MP The Rt Hon. Shaun Woodward
James Sainsbury, son of Timothy Sainsbury
Alexander Sainsbury, son of Timothy Sainsbury
Princess Jessica de Frankopan, daughter of Timothy Sainsbury and married to Prince Peter de Frankopan Subic Zrinski
Paulette Sainsbury, daughter of Alan Sainsbury (1946-); known by married name Paulette Anderson
Cairistiona Anderson, daughter of Paulette Anderson
Lindsey Anderson, daughter of Paulette Anderson
Sir Robert Sainsbury (1907–2000), son of John Benjamin Sainsbury, who along with his wife Lisa née Van den Bergh (1912–2014) began the collection of modern and tribal art housed at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich
Elizabeth Sainsbury (Elizabeth Clark 19 July 1938 – 14 August 1977), daughter of Robert Sainsbury
James Clark, son of Elizabeth Clark
Alexander Clark, son of Elizabeth Clark
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville (1940-), son of Robert Sainsbury, Labour life peer (Baron Sainsbury of Turville)
The Hon. Clare Sainsbury, daughter of David Sainsbury, wrote Martian In The Playground, to help people understand Asperger syndrome
The Hon. Anya Lucy Sainsbury, daughter of David Sainsbury
The Hon. Francesca Sainsbury, daughter of David Sainsbury
Celia Sainsbury, daughter of Robert Sainsbury, married name Celia Blakey
Simon Blakey, son of Celia Blakey
Michael Robert Blakey, son of Celia Blakey
Annabel Sainsbury, daughter of Robert Sainsbury, married name Annabel Kanabus, former director of the HIV/AIDS charity AVERT and now director of the charity GHE
Jason Kanabus (1976–2006), son of Annabel Sainsbury, left fortune to Prince's Trust to help young people become established in farming
Adrian Kanabus, son of Annabel Sainsbury
Arthur Sainsbury (1880–1962)
James Sainsbury (1909–1984)
No family member now works for the company, although John Davan Sainsbury is the Life President of the firm.
The last family member to work for the company was Tim Sainsbury who retired as a non-executive director in 1999. The last family chairman was David Sainsbury who retired as chairman of the company in 1998. This brought to an end 129 years of management of the group by the Sainsbury family. As a government minister since 1998, his shares were held in a blind trust until 2007.
The equity interest in Sainsbury’s held by the family as of May 2011 is just 15%. The family sold down their stake from 35% in 2005. The largest family shareholders are Lord Sainsbury of Turville with 4.99% and Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, who controls just under 3% of the company, and benefits from 1.6% of the equity included in the above. The Sunday Times reported in September 2006 that "The Sainsbury family continues to [sell] shares in the £6.2 billion retailer... and for the first time their combined holding has fallen below 20%.”
The largest shareholder is now the Qatar Investment Authority (the investment vehicle of the Qatari royal family of the Gulf Kingdom) who as of May 2011 holds 25.999% of the company.
Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover's decision to split his 3.89% holding in Sainsbury's between other members of his family in December 2006 suggests that the family may not have sold as many shares as previously thought. The other theory could be that the most senior members of the family, with previous stakes of over 3% (the reportable stock exchange shareholding threshold), could have simply transferred some of their shares to their children (who previously held few shares), rather than having sold shares onto the open market. However, some shares which have been sold were definitely sold to the open market (according to Miss Judith Portrait, the trustee for many Sainsbury family settlements).
This fall from around 35% increases the possibility of any takeover attempt succeeding. However, the Sainsbury family have managed to use their remaining stake to block takeover bids in the past, as demonstrated by the two failed takeover bids in 2007. A hostile bid for the company may encounter difficulties, without the full support of the Sainsbury family. The halving of the generous dividend yield in recent years may have been a significant factor regarding the family's decision to reduce their shareholdings.
The Sainsbury family has also set up a number of buildings, to house their various interests. These are:
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts Arts Centre
Sainsbury Laboratory Science Laboratory
Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University
Sainsbury Wing Wing of the National Gallery (London)
Sainsbury Library in the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford
Sainsbury African Galleries at the British Museum
Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the British Museum
The Timothy Sainsbury Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Wing of Hammersmith Hospital
Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre
Linbury Galleries at Tate Britain
Linbury Gallery at the Museum of London
Linbury Gallery at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff
Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Linbury Studio at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Headley Lecture Theatre in the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford
Raven Row Art Gallery in Spitalfields
Centre for Mental Health Centre to improve the quality of lives for people with mental health problems
National STEM Centre
Centre for Justice Innovation
Astor Community Theatre in Deal, Kent
Eighteen of the grant-making trusts set up by members of the Sainsbury family, are known collectively as the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Institutions whose creation they fostered include the following:
Sainsbury Institute for Art at the University of East Anglia, comprising:
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts Arts Centre
The Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection
Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
Lisa Sainsbury Library
School of Art History and World Art Studies
South Asian Decorative Arts and Crafts Collection Trust
Sainsbury Laboratory Science Laboratory
Sainsbury Management Fellowship A scheme to develop UK engineers into leaders in industry
Institute for Government A cross-party independent charity to improve government effectiveness
Centre for Mental Health Centre to improve the quality of lives for people with mental health problems
Annabel Sainsbury (married name Annabel Kanabus) set up, with her husband, the international AIDS charity AVERT, and the charity GHE. Adrian Kanabus has set up Adrians Charity.
Celia Sainsbury (married name Celia Blakey) set up the Celia Blakey Charitable Trust which makes grants to various other charities.
The Sainsbury family are also major benefactors to English Heritage and the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.
The Sainsbury family also has varying political interests.
Alan Sainsbury was originally a Liberal, before joining Labour then supporting the nascent SDP before finally taking the Labour whip upon entering parliament
John Davan Sainsbury takes the Tory whip
David Sainsbury also supported the SDP, but has taken the Labour whip since 1997, and was Science and Innovation Minister in the Blair government (1998–2006)
Tim Sainsbury took the Tory whip as MP for Hove, 1973–1997
Camilla Sainsbury, daughter of Tim, is married to former MP Shaun Woodward, who started as a Tory but defected to New Labour