James Dyson was born in Cromer, Norfolk, England, the son of Alec and Mary Dyson. His father was a teacher. He had a relatively unremarkable childhood which was heavily impacted by his father's early death from cancer when Dyson was only 9 years old. This early experience of loss instilled in him a sense of independence and a desire to challenge the status quo.

Dyson initially studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art, before moving on to study furniture and interior design at the Royal College of Art (RCA). It was at the RCA that Dyson began to focus more on industrial design, which provided him the ability to combine engineering and design to solve day to day problems.

Before Dyson became famous for vacuum cleaners, he designed the Ballbarrow. Recognizing the instability and limitations of conventional wheelbarrows, Dyson replaced the traditional wheel with a large ball. This improved maneuverability and allowed the wheelbarrow to traverse soft ground more easily. This project established Dyson as an innovator in the field of engineering and his ability to solve practical challenges through design.

Dyson was inspired during a visit to a sawmill, noticing how cyclone separators removed sawdust from the air. He wondered if the same principle could be applied to vacuum cleaners, which often lost suction due to clogged bags.

Driven by the observation at the sawmill, Dyson spent five years and created 5,127 prototypes to develop a bagless vacuum cleaner using cyclonic separation. He initially struggled to find manufacturers or distributors willing to take a chance on his radical design as he was told that consumers liked changing the bags and so he was challenging consumer demand.

Unable to find interest in the UK, Dyson licensed his G-Force cyclone technology to a company in Japan. The G-Force cleaner became a status symbol in Japan, further validating Dyson's invention.

After the success of the G-Force model in Japan, Dyson founded Dyson Ltd in the UK to manufacture and sell his own vacuum cleaners, using the royalties he obtained from the Japanese licensing. He broke the established consumer preferences and challenged the industry that had previously dismissed his technology. The first Dyson vacuum cleaner was the DA 001.

Dyson expanded beyond vacuum cleaners, developing a range of innovative products including bladeless fans (Air Multipliers), hand dryers (Dyson Airblade), and hair dryers (Dyson Supersonic). He successfully applied his problem-solving approach and commitment to innovation to new categories, solidifying Dyson's reputation as a technology-driven design company.

Recognizing the shortage of skilled engineers, Dyson established the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology. The institute provides students the opportunity to earn an engineering degree while working and earning a salary at Dyson, demonstrating Dyson's commitment to fostering the next generation of innovators.

Dyson moved the company headquarters to Singapore, causing controversy as Dyson had been a prominent supporter of Brexit. The company cited proximity to faster-growing markets as the main reason for the move.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dyson designed and developed a ventilator (CoVent) to support the NHS. However, it was ultimately not needed. This was also the year Dyson cancelled its ambitious electric vehicle project after a significant investment, concluding it was not commercially viable.