The name Bob Geldof conjures up, for many, a musician, humanitaria and businessman, with a rather less than impeccable dress code and colourful use of language. Meeting him face to face, he liver up to this perception.

Life has never felt successful for Bob Geldof instead, he explained, things have been successful. Despite the fact that many things he had tried failed to work out, he didn't give up - rather he just moved on and kept quiet about it. Having been given a synopsis of his background, you get an understanding of how Bob's passion, zest and tenancity for life were shaped.

Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof was born near Dublin, Ireland on 5 October 1954. His mother died when he was just 7 years old. His eldest sister married at 17 years of age and his middle sister often stayed late at school. His Dad was a commercial traveller. Geldof said that he largely took care of himself.

Having failed his 11+ and 'O' levels, Bob Geldolf learnt to become independent at an early age. As you can imagine, from an early age, Bob Geldof has been very opinionated with a lot to say. "There was no one at home to temper my opinion, so I became dogmatic - I saw things in black and white", he remonstrated. Bob became very distrustful of authority, because, he felt, they had betrayed him when his mother died. He rebelled against what he thought was unfairness and subsequently injustice. By the age of 13, he had started an anti-apartheid movement because it struck him that people should not be devoid of something because of their race or colour.

With no qualifications, Bob Geldof did a series of jobs including working in an abattoir in Canada. It was while in Canada that Bob initiated the idea of writing a music review for a paper to increase its circulation. The paper did well, but unfortunately Geldof was an illegal immigrant in Canada and had to return to Ireland.

In 1973, Bob started 'Buy & Sell', an Exchange and Mart-style magazine offering free classified ads, on a shoestring. There were no phone lines and the only way Geldof could get the publication ready without paying for it, was to do a deal with the phone providers and printers. The publication became a huge success, despite a bank manager telling him at the age of 20 to come back when he was 40 for a loan. Two years later he formed a band with a mate, which later became the 'Boomtown Rats'. Bob became their natural leader. He likened a pop group to a business - 'the entrepreneur will not succeed without a backing group'.

At the age of 30, when Geldof thought the best part of his life was over, he saw a news bulletin that would change his life for ever. Over 30 million people were about to die in Ethiopia because they had nothing to eat. "To die of want in a world of surplus is not only intellectually wrong, but morally repulsive " he thought. "Small businesses must be alert to their moment", enthused Bob - and this was Geldof's moment. As a direct result of Bob's effort Band Aid was formed and six months later came Live Aid. Over $84 million was raised for the starving and the dying in Ethiopia.

The set-up of a TV production company, Planet 24 was Mr Geldof's next business venture. It produced such shows as 'The Big Breakfast'. He later sold it for £5 million worth of shares and set up other business ventures. He is said to be worth £35 million.

His advice to other would-be entrepreneurs? "Push to the very limits - to the point of exhaustion - push it because it's really interesting and don't hurt other people on the way."