Green tycoon Dale Vince borrows £17m to pay divorce settlement

Core Viewpoint - Dale Vince, a prominent Labour donor and green energy entrepreneur, has borrowed £17.5 million from his business empire to cover divorce settlement costs, highlighting the intersection of personal finance and business operations in the green energy sector [2][3]. Company Overview - Dale Vince owns Green Britain Group, which manages his wind farm company Ecotricity, Forest Green Rovers football club, and other business interests [2]. - Ecotricity, founded in 1995, has grown into one of Britain's largest independent clean energy businesses, starting with a single turbine and now owning 24 wind farms across the UK [6]. Financial Performance - Ecotricity reported a turnover of £551.9 million for the 12 months ending April 30, 2025, representing a 21% year-on-year increase [8]. - The company more than doubled its pre-tax profits to £10.4 million, driven by higher sales [8]. Donations and Political Involvement - Ecotricity has donated over £6 million to the Labour Party since 2013, with more than £5 million contributed since Sir Keir Starmer became party leader in April 2020 [5]. - The company has also made donations to the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, as well as to individual Labour politicians [6].