Founder's £14m from Moneysupermarket

Moneysupermarket founder Simon Nixon today landed a £14 million windfall after the price comparison website agreed a big cash payout, including a one-off special dividend.

Chief executive Peter Plumb dismissed suggestions the divi was designed to appease Nixon, who owns over 52% of the shares and has hinted previously that he could be willing to sell his controlling stake.

"He certainly doesn't set our dividend policy," said Plumb, who pointed out four-fifths of operating profits were converted into cash. "We haven't got a use for that cash in the business so we are returning it to shareholders."

Pre-tax profits were up fourfold at £8.8 million for the half-year, with revenues 28% higher at £91.7 million.

Nixon gets £10 million from the special divi and nearly £4 million from the interim divi. That means Nixon, who stopped running the company in 2008, is less likely to sell.

Some observers have speculated Moneysupermaket could face a "Stelios situation" - a reference to how easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou clashed with the board. Plumb said of Nixon: "He is clearly supportive of the strategy."

Moneysupermarket has ditched comedian Omid Djalli as the face of the brand, and has upped marketing spend by a third. A new ad features a family man with awesome powers, called Geoff, who is "so Moneysupermarket".