Article: Sir Alan Sugar: would you like sugar with that? ; He's known for his surly demeanour and for making his millions from arcane deals and technologies. So how come Sir Alan Sugar is the hottest thing in entertainment? Ian Burrell charts his rise from East End trader to TV's Mr Nasty

The fourth series of The Apprentice, the hit show he presents, will begin on Wednesday, adding to his already extraordinary public profile. But he remains, to a surprising degree for someone who has spent several decades in the public eye, an enigma.

Once again, we have ourselves a fresh batch of 16 apprentices putting their hopes on the line. Yet the question that intrigues many of us more than what will happen to them is: who exactly is this great sorcerer whose secrets they aspire to attain? Is he really a visionary futurist, a rune-reading technology mogul with an all-seeing eye for a fast profit? Or is he a grumpy old dinosaur who hankers for the old days and feels threatened by ...

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