KENT ambassador Sir Robert Worcester stands to bank around £12 million after the sale of the polling organisation he founded 36 years ago.

French rival Ipsos has agreed to buy Mori - Market and Opinion Research International - for £88 million. The new organisation will be called Ipsos Mori.

Sir Robert, who lives in Allington Castle, near Maidstone, owns 16.5 per cent of the company’s shares, a stake he values at around £12 million. He set up Mori with £20,000 in 1969.

Sir Robert also made a considerable sum from a previous share sale to venture capitalist firm 3i.

In June, the multi-millionaire stepped down as Mori chairman, saying he wanted to devote more time to his Kent interests. But he has agreed to take up a new post as chairman of the Ipsos worldwide public affairs advisory board.

Speaking from London where he was meeting Ipsos business chiefs, Sir Robert, 71, said that Ipsos had made Mori an offer "we couldn’t refuse".

But the deal had come between 18 months and two years ahead of plan.

He said: "It was certainly not on our timetable. It was inevitable although I was a very much a reluctant seller. I’ve just got an idea that it’s a very fair price for this kind of a company."

Sir Robert, who was born in the United States, intends spending some of his windfall on founding a professorship in political science and journalism at the University of Kansas where he was a student.

But he said he was also considering investing in a new post at the University of Kent where he recently took up the post of treasurer.

He admitted to only two unfulfilled ambitions - to learn French and to learn to fly, he said. Working with Ipsos would help him with the first and he might invest some of his sale proceeds in flying lessons.

Sir Robert has numerous interests in Kent. He is a deputy lieutenant and Kent Ambassador, and is closely involved with Locate in Kent, the University of Kent and the Kent Partnership.

He is a non-executive director of the Kent Messenger Group, and holds honorary professorships at the Universities of Kent and Warwick.

Mori is now the fifth largest market research company in the UK and 20th in the world. It employs 460 staff in London, Manchester, Edinbrugh, Belfast and Dublin. A few senior jobs are expected to go.

In a letter to clients, chief executive Brian Gosschalk wrote that both companies were "culturally compatible".

"We believe this is a very exciting development for Mori and our clients," he said.

He added: "Please be assured that as we move to a new structure, Mori has every intention of continuing to delvier to you the level of service and professionalism that you have come to expect."