Thomas Lipton , in full Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, 1st Baronet , (born May 10, 1850, Glasgow , Scotland—died October 2, 1931, London , England), British merchant who built the Lipton tea empire and also won fame as a yachtsman. Thomas Lipton See all media Category: History & Society Born: May 10, 1850 Glasgow Scotland Died: October 2, 1931 (aged 81) London England See all related content → Lipton, whose Irish parents ran a small grocery, immigrated to the United States in 1865. After five years at various jobs, he returned to Glasgow and opened a small provision shop, whose success led him to open other shops throughout the United Kingdom. To supply his retail shops on the most favourable terms, Lipton purchased extensive tea, coffee , and cocoa plantations in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ) and provided his own packinghouse for hogs in Chicago . He also acqu...