James Buckley-Thorp
James Buckley-Thorp Vickers is a British entrepreneur, and investor. He is the founder of the life insurance company Bequest and the clothing brand Rupert and Buckley.
Early life and education
James Buckley-Thorp was born in April 1989 in Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom as Tom Anthony James Buckley-Thorp. He did his schooling at Clayton Hall Academy in Staffordshire He attended Peter Symonds College in Winchester, Hampshire, one of the largest sixth-form colleges in England, before pursuing a law degree.He graduated in law from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK.
Career
James founded the international clothing brand Rupert and Buckley in 2011 and opened its first shop in Bath, Somerset followed by another new store in the city centre of Oxford in 2016. In 2016, James exited and sold Rupert and Buckley. He then moved to San Francisco for one year.In 2018, he moved to London, where he subsequently founded his second business, Bequest which is a fintech life insurance company based in London. He exited the company in August 2024 and started a new company.
James was recognised as one of the top 100 LGBTQIA+ venture-backed entrepreneurs globally by Gaingels in 2024.
James appeared on Channel 4's reality game show The Inheritance, hosted by Elizabeth Hurley and Robert Rinder.