Made his money in foreign exchange and investments, with his involvement with the English National Investment Company, he is the money behind the company that bought out a number of large shares from the Chairman Alan Sugar to take over the club in 2001, with an estimated £71 million involved.

Lewis started by expanding his family’s catering business, before moving on to sell high class goods to tourists and then into the currency trading business and this was when he moved to the Bahamas in the 1970s, where he has developed the leisure business there with a golf resort in the planning stage and also a 2,200 acre casino resort and about 1,500 more acres of land.

He is also involved in the Tavistock group, which has interests in Russian oil and gas, along with a £292 million investment in brewers Mitchells & Butlers, property and real estate interests, manufacturing and restaurants. 

Counts golfers Ernie Els and Tiger Woods as his friends.

Was the 16th Richest man in Britain in 2007 with an estimated wealth of £2,800 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.  Lost £500 million in the 2008 crash of Bears Stern bank on Wall Street, but recovered to increase his total by £200 million in 2009, so that in 2010, his wealth was estimated at £2,700 million by the Sunday Times, putting him seventh in the list of richest people in Britain.
In 2010, he was listed as the 316th richest man in the world on the Forbes' List with $3 billion.
In 2011, Joe had dropped to 22nd richest in Britain and Ireland, with a wealth of £2,800 million.

Lives in Lyford Cay, Bahamas with his wife.  They have two children.