Rags to Richest – Britain’s self-made successes
According to Sunday Times UK’s super-rich see the combined fortune of the wealthiest 1000 rise to £724bn in “ The 30th Annual Sunday Times Rich List 2018”, Britain transformed into a land of opportunities where the self-made can succeed as 1000 richest people built their own fortunes.
When the Rich List was first published in 1989 only 43 per cent had made their money themselves, but today 94 per cent are self-made entrepreneurs.
There are 145 billionaires, born, based or with substantial assets in UK.
The top two entries in the Rich List is worth more than the entire 200 entries combined that made up first edition. . This year there are 141 women on the Rich List against 9 in 1989.
Lancashire born, Jim Ratcliffe, who initially lived in a council house was sacked from his direst hob with BP after three days tops today’s Rich List with a wealth of £21.05billion. The Ineos tycoon who came from humble backgrounds had lived in a council house in Manchester as a child, and did not start business until he was 40.
Tony Pidley, a Barnardo’s orphan who spent his early life in a disused railway carriage, but went on to amass £310m wealth via house building. Alfie Best, gained £250m from caravans and holiday parks was a gypsy. New entries this year include Penny Streeter who was a homeless refugee and single mother, founded her recruitment firm, James Watt and Martin Dickie – a former deep seas fisherman and one-time Whisky distiller respectively – who set up BrewDog craft ale business, Hotel Chocolat, co-founders, husband and wife who set up the Sushi Daily Kiosks selling Japanese food, two entrepreneurs behind the tonic water Fever-Tree, dating App tycoon Andrey Andreev, Mahmud Kamani, who co-founded fast fashion retailer Boohoo, Trevor Hemmings, the race horse owner and property tycoon at the age of 82.
Inventor, Sir James Dyson, boosted by exports and a range of new innovative cutting edge technology products has £1.7m fortune. Writer JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter series £700m, young musician Ed Sheeran £80m, Emma Watson, the actress £50m. Boxer Anthony Joshua £35m.
Actor Daniel Craig and his actress wife Rachel Weisz join the Rich List with a £125m fortune, Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken who runs the Heineken brewing empire with her husband Michel de Carvalho.
Top 20 Ranking Billionaires who made Rich List
1 Jim Ratcliffe £21.05bn, Ineos,Chemical firm
2 Sri and Gopi Hinduja £20.64bn, Hinduja, Manufacturing
3 Leonard Bavatnik £15.26bn, Warner Music Group, Music
4 David & Simon Reuben £15.09bn, Property & Internet
5 Lakshmi Mittal & Family £14.67bn, Mittal Steel
6 Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken & Michel de Carvalho £11.10bn, Heineken, Brewing & Banking
7 Kristen Rausing & Jorn Rausing £10.84bn, investments
8 Alisher Usmanov £10.56bn, Mining
9 Galen Weston & George G Weston £10.05bn, Food & Retail Ventures
10 The Duke of Westminster £9.96bn, Property
11 Ernesto & Kristy Bertarelli £9.66bn, Food
12 Sir James Dyson £9.50bn, Dyson, Hair dryers
13 Hans Rausing & family & Roman Abramovich in Joint 13th place£9.33bn
15 Sir David & Sur Frederick Barclay £7.40bn
16 Andy Currie & John Reece in joint 16th Place £7.00bn
18 Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber & family £6.75bn
19 John Fredriksen & family £6.71bn
20 Earl Cadogan & family £6.70bn