Since 2010, Mrs Cameron has worked as a creative consultant for the company two days a week . Samantha Cameron received an estimated £400,000 windfall from the sale of the luxury stationery company where she works, it was claimed last night. Smythson was bought in April 2005 by a group of prominent City figures for some £15.8million. According to a report by The Guardian last night, Mrs Cameron would have received £1,589.20 for each of her 275 shares, giving her a lump sum windfall of £437,000 before tax as a result of the sale. The company was acquired by a consortium of City grandees, including some who have donated to the Conservative Party. At the time of the sale on April 30, 2005, Mr Cameron was the Tories' head of policy coordination, a largely back office role. He was appointed shadow education secretary six days later, in the wake of the Tories' election defeat. Among those who were reportedly involved in the deal were Jonathan Green, the founder of the GLG hedge fund, Howard Shore, who set up the stockbroker group Shore Capital, and members of the Fleming banking family. All are Tory donors. Last night a spokesman for Samantha Cameron said: 'The sale of Smythson happened before the 2005 General Election, when Michael Howard was leader of the Conservative Party. 'Samantha Cameron was not a board director and was not responsible for the sale. It would be entirely wrong to suggest any wrongdoing or attempts to obtain undue influence.' Mrs Cameron began working at Smythson as a window dresser in 1996, the same year the couple married. By the time of the sale she was creative director. The Guardian also reported that Mrs Cameron will have received a second windfall when the firm was sold again in 2009 because she held shares in the new parent company, although this was estimated to be a 'much smaller sum'. It is calculated that Samantha Cameron received more than £400,000 before tax from the sale in April 2005 . Since 2010, Mrs Cameron has worked as a creative consultant for the company for two days a week. Smythson's store in central London's New Bond Street sells among its stock £2,000 python-skin handbags. Mrs Cameron is thought to earn up to £100,000 a year. Mr Green reportedly gave the Tories more than £40,000 and also financed Mr Cameron's leadership campaign. Mr Shore has given the party £34,000 personally while Shore Capital has donated more than £580,000 to the Tories, it was claimed. Last month the Mail revealed the firm is owned through a holding company based in Luxembourg, a tax haven. It is also linked to a secretive trust in the Channel Island of Guernsey, another well-known tax haven. Mr Cameron has publicly criticised tax avoidance in the past, including a warning to businesses setting up 'ever-more complex tax arrangements abroad' which he said should 'wake up and smell the coffee' – a jibe aimed at Starbucks, which has paid only small sums of tax in the UK. David Cameron himself is estimated to be worth around £3million. His house in North Kensington – which is currently being rented out – is thought to be worth around £2.7million, and he also owns a home in Oxfordshire which is worth close to £1million. And as well as their personal wealth, the Prime Minister and his wife come from very well-off backgrounds. Mr Cameron's father, Ian Cameron, was once estimated to be worth around £10million. He died in 2010 and left a fortune of £2.74million, from which Mr Cameron received £300,000. Mrs Cameron's father, Sir Reginald Sheffield, is the eighth holder of a baronetcy that goes back to 1755 and is estimated to be worth at least £20million.
Smythson was bought in April 2005 by city figures for some £15.8million . Report says Mrs Cameron would have got £1,589 for each of her 275 shares . PM's wife began working at Smythson as a window dresser in 1996 . By the time of the 2005 sale, she had risen to creative director in company .