AN intensely private businessman who chose to live in modest circumstances has left about £270million to charity.

John D Hollingsworth Junior, who ran a textile company with subsidiaries in Great Harwood, and other parts of Europe and South America, left nearly all his estate to Furman University, the YMCA in his home town of Greenville, South Carolina, in the United States and charities to be determined by the board of his non-profit foundation.

Hollingsworth UK was the parent company of Accrington-based Platt Saco Lowell which closed seven years ago with the loss of 140 jobs.

A smaller company, Platt UK, was set up in its place operating from the former Brooke Bond Oxo site in Great Harwood.

Paulette Murphy, president of Hollingsworth's land development company, said his real estate holdings could be worth £270million.

One of the estate's three executors, said there were no plans to sell John D Hollingsworth on Wheels Inc, which employs nearly 2,000 people in Britain, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the US.

Hollingsworth, 83, died on Saturday morning after a fall from his bed the day before.

He had spent his life building John D Hollingsworth on Wheels Inc. a private manufacturer of metallic carding machines which separate textile fibres.

His grandfather founded the company in 1894.

Despite his wealth, Hollingsworth lived in a trailer behind his flagship plant in the US.

"He's always been a very private person," company vice-president Andy Rasor said. "All his donations were anonymous.

"He just wanted to return to the community what he thought the community allowed him to accumulate."

The will provides nothing for Hollingsworth's only child, Mary Jane Crolley but his grandchildren will each get a £170,000 trust fund for their college education.