Nigel Edward Doughty (10 June 1957 – 4 February 2012) was a British investor and football club owner, who was co-chairman and co-founder of Doughty Hanson & Co, a European private equity firm based in London.

Doughty was born in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Doughty Hanson & Co traces its history back to 1985 when Doughty and Richard Hanson began working together on European investments. Doughty completed his Cranfield BA in 1984 and became a Distinguished Alumnus of the Cranfield School of Management in 2004.^[1] He made a personal donation in 2006 to establish the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield School of Management.^[2] He was also President of The Cranfield Trust.^[3] Doughty was a Trustee of the Doughty Family Foundation^[4] and the Doughty Hanson Charitable Foundation.^[5]

Around 2010, Doughty was an Assistant Treasurer of the Labour Party^[6] and Chairman of the Small Business Taskforce policy review.^[7] He was a member of the World Economic Forum in Davos.^[8]

Doughty bought control of Nottingham Forest F.C. for £11 million in 1999.^[9] After the departure of Steve McClaren as Forest manager in October 2011, Doughty announced his decision to step down as Forest chairman by the end of the 2011–12 season.^[10] Doughty's son Michael is a professional footballer.

On 4 February 2012, Doughty was found dead in the gymnasium of his home in Skillington, Lincolnshire.^[9][11][12] His death was due to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).^[13]