Although the combined fortunes of the top 350 people on the list are greater than the gross domestic product of Poland, the number of billionaires in Britain is falling. As billionaires leave the ranks, new ones join, including Sir Paul McCartney, who is now the first musician in Britain to join the billionaire club.
Friday, May 17, 2024 22:07 UK
Rishi Sunak has overtaken King in the latest Sunday Times rich list.
Personal property is prime minister The paper calculated that his and his wife Akshata Murthy's assets have increased by more than £120 million in the past year, to a total of £651 million.
In contrast, the King's assets increased from £600 million to £610 million over the same period.
However, The Sunday Times claimed the number of super-rich in the UK is declining and that Britain's “billionaire boom is over”.
Released on FridayThe list marks the biggest drop in billionaires in the guide's history. Peak of 177 in 2022 This year there are 165 of them.
The 350 richest people on the list have a combined fortune of more than £795 billion, more than Poland's gross domestic product, but the guide's creators say only time will tell what impact the decline in billionaires will have.
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“This year's Sunday Times Rich List shows that Britain's billionaire boom is over,” said Robert Watts.
“Many home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes decline and some of the global billionaires who came here have left.
“The livelihoods of thousands of Britons depend to some extent on the super-rich. We will have to wait and see whether the UK has now reached peak billionaire status and what that means for the UK economy.”
Topping the list is British-Indian businessman Gopi Hinduja and his family, whose fortune of £37.2 billion makes them the richest in the history of the ranking.
However, the fortunes of other celebrities on the list have fallen, with Sir Richard Branson's total fortune falling by £2.4 billion, back to 2000 levels.
Last year's top climber, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Bought shares in Manchester United This year it has fallen by £6.1 billion, dropping it two places.
One of those who has fallen out of the billionaire club is Stephen Fitzpatrick, owner of OVO, one of the UK's largest energy companies.
The Sunday Times reports that he has made a £1.3 billion loss since last year and shares in his air taxi business have fallen by 60%.
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Also joining the billionaire list is Sir Paul McCartney, who increased his fortune by £50 million, becoming the first British musician to achieve that status.
This comes after a year of touring and the lucrative valuation of his past work, which includes covers of songs by Beyoncé.
The biggest gainers were the Barnaby and Merlin Swire families, who made £8.8bn from the 200-year-old business.
“These may be tough times to make wealth, but the Sunday Times Rich List continues to uncover entrepreneurs who are making their fortunes in diverse and often surprising ways,” Watts said.
“New entries this year include plumbing supplies and educational aids, as well as people making money from artificial intelligence and virtual worlds.”
Tony Blair's eldest son, Euan Blair, makes it onto the list for the first time, along with Sir Lewis Hamilton.
As the UK continues to grapple with a cost of living crisis, new figures released this week show A record 3.1 million food bank packs delivered It was distributed over a period of one year.
Top 10:
1. Gopi Hinduja – ₹ 37.2 billion
2. Sir Leonard Brachtnik – £29.2 billion
3. David and Simon Reuben and their family – £24.9 billion
4. Sir Jim Ratcliffe – £23.5 billion
5. Sir James Dyson and family – £20.8 billion
6. Barnaby and Merlin Swire and family – £17.2 billion
7. Idan Ofer – £14.9 billion
8. Lakshmi Mittal and family – ₹ 14.9 billion
9. Guy, George, Alanna and Galen Weston and family – £14.4 billion
10. John Fredriksen and family – £12.8 billion
