LOOKING at Pippa Middelon’s giant sparkler it’s easy to see her husband-to-be has impeccable taste in rings, but what else do we know about James Matthews?

Matthews is on the other end of the scale to his controversial reality TV star brother Spencer. The uber wealthy hedge fund banker is the chief executive of investment advisory Eden Rock Capital Management Group, which has offices in London.

The 41-year-old self-made millionaire named the company after his parents David and Jane Matthews’ luxury accommodation Eden Rock in St Barths, which is one of the top resorts in the world and a regular hideaway for the rich and famous, including the Royal family.

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Matthews had an early education at prestigious boarding school Eton College, in Berkshire west of London, the same school Prince William and Harry attended.

But before he became a big wig in the finance world in the late 90s, Matthews, who boycotted university, was in fact a successful race car driver.

He participated in many world-class events including the British F3 Championship, British Formula Renault Championship, and Eurocup Formula Renault.

He won the British Formula Renault Championship in 1994 for Manor Motorsport, and later that year picked up the Eurocup Formula Renault title.

Despite the fact that Matthews left life in the fast lane to pursue a corporate job, he and Pippa both live extremely active lives.

The pair, who live in a £17 million (AU$29 million) mansion in Chelsea, London, famously participated in a six-hour Norwegian ski race together last year.

Matthews is an ultra-marathon runner in his spare time and in 2008 completed the 156 mile Marathon des Sables in the Saraha Desert in Morocco.

The happy couple are also into tennis. Miss Middleton is a regular at Wimbledon and was pictured with Mr Matthews at the event last year, just days before getting engaged.

Despite marrying one of the world’s most high profile women, Matthews is said to be extremely discreet and private, unlike his headline grabbing younger brother. Their sister Nina, who is relatively unknown, keeps a low profile.

He met Ms Middleton in 2006 while on holiday in the Caribbean however Matthews didn’t pursue her because he was focusing on building his business.

They then dated briefly in 2012 before rekindling their relationship in 2015 and getting engaged last year.

Matthews dropped down on one knee during a trip to the stunning Lake District, northwest England, in July, where he presented Ms Middleton with an octagonal ring featuring a three-carat diamond which is said to be worth about £200,000 (AU$360,000).

Matthews’ father, David, owns a historic castle in the Scottish Highlands and is dubbed the Laird of Glen Affric.

This makes Matthews the heir to the title, and his soon-to-be wife will be the heir to the Lady Glen Affric title.

A Laird is roughly equivalent to the Esquire title in England, ranking below a Baron yet above a Gentleman.

The sprawling Glen Affric Lodge also has its very own royal connection with the Queen’s grandmother, Mary, having stayed at the estate in the late 19th century.

Matthews had an older brother, Michael, who died in a mountaineering accident in 1999 on Mount Everest, just hours after becoming the youngest Briton to conquer the peak.