James Buckley-Thorp

James Buckley-Thorp
Born	Tom Anthony James Buckley-Thorp April 1989 (age 36) Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Kent
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Founder of Rupert and Buckley [1] Founder and CEO of Bequest (company) [2]

James Buckley-Thorp Vickers (born Tom Anthony James Buckley-Thorp, April 1989) is a British entrepreneur, and investor. ^[3] He is the founder of the life insurance company Bequest and the clothing brand Rupert and Buckley. ^{[4] [5]}

Early life and education

James Buckley-Thorp was born in April 1989 ^[6] in Bath, Somerset, ^[7] United Kingdom as Tom Anthony James Buckley-Thorp. ^[8] He did his schooling at Clayton Hall Academy in Staffordshire ^[9] He attended Peter Symonds College in Winchester, Hampshire, one of the largest sixth-form colleges in England, before pursuing a law degree. ^[10]

He graduated in law from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK. ^[11]

Career

James founded the international clothing brand Rupert and Buckley in 2011 ^[12] and opened its first shop in Bath, Somerset ^[13] followed by another new store in the city centre of Oxford in 2016. ^[14] In 2016, James exited and sold Rupert and Buckley. ^[7] He then moved to San Francisco for one year. ^[15]

In 2018, he moved to London, where he subsequently founded his second business, Bequest ^[16] which is a fintech life insurance company based in London. ^[17] He exited the company in August 2024 and started a new company. ^[18]

James was recognized as one of the top 100 LGBTQIA+ venture-backed entrepreneurs globally by Gaingels in 2024. ^[19]

James appeared on Channel 4's reality game show The Inheritance, competing alongside Elizabeth Hurley and Robert Rinder.

Personal life

James married Michael Vickers on May 6, 2023, at the Guildhall in Bath, Somerset. Following the marriage, he legally adopted the triple-barrelled surname "Buckley-Thorp Vickers." ^[20]

Bibliography

• Buckley-Thorp, James (23 August 2019). The Age of the Ethical Entrepreneur: Companies Aren't Just Becoming More Ethical, But So Are the Founders, But Why? and How?. Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US. ISBN   978-1-6882-2713-2.

References

1. "Turning £40 into £3million: James Buckley-Thorp interview". BEC. 2 July 2019.
2. "Covéa Life launches with exciting new life insurtech Bequest | Covéa Insurance". Covéa.
3. "Founders: When should you step down?". Management Today.
4. "James Buckley-Thorp overview from the National Association of College & University Entrepreneurs". NACUE .
5. "Founder of fashion store Rupert and Buckley, James Buckley-Thorp". The Startup Magazine. 18 March 2014.
6. "Tom Anthony James BUCKLEY-THORP - Personal Appointments". service.gov.uk.
7. Crawley, James (11 April 2017). "Rupert and Buckley eyes return to Bath". Bath Chronicle .
8. "Financial Conduct Authority Register". register.fca.org.uk.
9. "Notable Former Students – Clayton Hall Academy". Clayton Hall Academy . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
10. "Law School alumnus James Buckley-Thorp to speak at national enterprise conference – Kent Law School News". 14 December 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
11. "James Buckley-Thorp-Law LLB". University of Kent.
12. "Put your shirt on James to be a top designer". Canterbury Times. 11 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
13. "Insider News South West – Crowdfunders sought for upmarket fashion label". Insidermedia.com. 28 April 2014.
14. "Fashion house re-locates to a county farm". Worcester News . 14 December 2012.
15. Finch, Hannah (24 July 2018). "This Devon clothing brand will soon be seen all over the United States". DevonLive.
16. Srivastava, Akansha (3 June 2021). "Disrupting life insurance in the UK with automated advice platform, Anorak secures £5M". UKTN. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
17. "Intellectual Property Office". trademarks.ipo.gov.uk.
18. Peyton, Antony. "UK start-up Bequest preps for insurance quest – Fintech Direct". Fintech Direct.
19. "2024 Presented with Pride - Gaingels". gaingels.com. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
20. "Mr T.A.J. Buckley-Thorp and Mr M. Vickers The Telegraph Announcements". announcements.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2025.