David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
The Lord Sainsbury of Turville | |
|---|---|
Sainsbury in 2013 | |
| Chancellor of the University of Cambridge | |
| In office 16 October 2011 – 24 July 2025 | |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Edinburgh |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Smith of Finsbury |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation | |
| In office 27 July 1998 – 10 November 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | John Battle |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Wicks |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 3 October 1997 – 1 July 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David John Sainsbury 24 October 1940 |
| Party | Labour (1960s–81; since 1996) SDP (1981–88) 'Continuing' SDP (1988–90) |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Carroll, Lady Sainsbury, DBE |
| Relations | Alan Sainsbury (uncle) |
| Parent(s) | Robert Sainsbury (father) Lisa van den Bergh (mother) |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge (BA) Columbia University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Businessman, philanthropist |
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville (born 24 October 1940) is a British politician, businessman and philanthropist. From 1992 to 1997, he served as chairman of Sainsbury's, the supermarket chain established by his great-grandfather John James Sainsbury in 1869.
He was made a life peer in 1997 as a member of the Labour Party, and was on a leave of absence from the House of Lords from 15 July 2013 to his retirement in 2021. He served in the government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation from 1998 and 2006.
He is a major donor to the University of Cambridge and, in 2011, was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He also made the largest real-terms donation in British political history, giving £8 million (equivalent to £11.6 million in 2025) to the Liberal Democrats in 2019, only surpassed in nominal-terms by the £9 million donation made by Christopher Harborne to Reform UK in 2025.