 A self-made millionaire, he previously built up a free local newspaper business, making his fortune primarily from the advertising revenue it generated.In 1991, Pickering purchased Derby County Football Club for just over £1 million from Robert Maxwell and invested heavily in players over the next two years, spending nearly £10 million.In January 1992, with Arthur Cox's low budget team just in touch with the leading pack, Pickering embarked on a spending increase, the biggest in the club's history, with the £1 m signing of Marco Gabbiadini from Crystal Palace.