Of the two brothers Hugh and John Boyle, who co-founded Zoom airlines in 2003, John is the most high-profile and sometimes controversial of the Lanarkshire siblings.

An irrepressible and larger-than-life character - who made his fortune in the travel industry and invested his money in football as former chairman of Motherwell FC - he recently jetted off to Bermuda with 150 guests in tow for his second wedding. The total bill for that bash was estimated to be £250,000, although his wedding guests raised around £50,000 for charity while they were at it.

With his distinctive, theatrical voice, Boyle is known as a flamboyant character and is easy fodder for the satirists. In particular, he has been lampooned on the BBC Radio Scotland football show, Off the Ball.

Boyle made his money in the travel industry, selling his firm Direct Holidays for £56m in 1999. He then explored a range of other investment opportunities - in technology, the media, printing, as well as travel - and set up Zoom airlines with his brother, eventually employing more than 700 people in Scotland and Canada.

He also forayed into football, becoming chairman and majority shareholder of Motherwell FC in 1999 and embarking on a spectacular, but ultimately failed, ambition to challenge the duopoly of Rangers and Celtic in Scottish football. The Boyles grew up Bellshill on the outskirts of Glasgow, almost within walking distance of Motherwell's Fir Park.

That particular dream died in 2002 when Motherwell went into administration with debts of more than £8m.