Who are the 25 richest people in Britain?
Sunday Times Rich List 2011Discover who's topping the Sunday Times' annual Rich List of the wealthiest people living in Britain.
Many of us are feeling the pinch right now, but the same can't be said of the richest people living on our shores. The Sunday Times' annual Rich List for 2011 estimates that the collective wealth of the 1,000 richest people in Britain is now £395.8 billion, not far off the all-time record of £413 billion achieved in 2008.
And there are 73 billionaires on this year's list, compared to 53 in the 2010 edition.
We profile the 25 richest people living in Britain today, and look at whether their fortunes have grown or fallen over the past 12 months.
25. Alan Parker: £2.29 billion
Last year's position: 20th
Born in Britain but based in Geneva, Alan Parker owes much of his wealth to the duty free shopping industry. He enjoyed another successful year, in which his wealth jumped by £216 million to just over £2 billion.
24. Bruno Schroder: £2.46 billion
Last year's position: 24th
The 78-year-old is a non-executive director of the fund management company that bears his family name. The company's share price has moved to a record high, which partly explains the £790 million increase in the family's fortune in 2010. The family owns the 16,500-acre Islay estate in Scotland.
23. Bernie Ecclestone: £2.5 billion
Last year's position: 38th
Formula One head honcho Bernie Ecclestone reportedly earns £3.5 million a year from his involvement in the sport. And his sporting business interests don't end there - he has a 62% stake in football club Queens Park Rangers. The Sunday Times has revised its estimate of his fortune based on figures from a recent biography by journalist Tom Bower.
22. Joe Lewis: £2.8 billion
Last year's position: 17th
The London-born investor made much of his fortune from betting against sterling during the 1990s. Among his long list of holdings is a £117 million stake in Tottenham Hotspur and £318 million in pub group Mitchells & Butlers. He's made £100 million in the past year alone.
21. Earl Cadogan & family: £2.85 billion
Last year's position: 19th
Earl Cadogan boasts ownership of 93 acres in Chelsea and a bond issue for his estate agents in January was hugely popular. His fortune has grown by £550 million in the past year.
20. Nicky Oppenheimer: £2.9 billion
Last year's position: joint-31st
The grandson of the founder of mining behemoth Anglo American, which now owns the world famous De Beers diamond group, Oppenheimer has benefitted from a surge in the company's share price. He sold £64 million of stock in the company in December 2010 and is estimated to have earned a massive £1.4 billion in 2010.
19. Sir Richard Branson: £3.085 billion
Last year's position: 18th
Sir Richard's well known for his diverse business ventures, but perhaps the most ambitious of all will soon take flight with the launch of Virgin Galactic. In the past 12 months his wealth has increased by £485 million.
18. Vladimir Kim: £3.5 billion
Last year's position: 14th
Vladimir Kim is the chairman of Kazakhmys, Kazakhstan's largest copper producer. He is widely credited with reviving the ailing company, which at one stage was £200 million in debt and not paying wages. He sold £838 million of his shares in the company last year, and overall increased his fortune by £340 million.
17. Anil Agarwal: £3.81 billion
Last year's position: 10th
The share price of Anil Agarwal's London-based mining group Vedanta Resources continues to rise, although his personal fortune is estimated to have dropped by £290 million in the past 12 months. He owns a £20 million home in Mayfair.
16. Kirsten & Jorn Rausing: £3.9 billion
Last year's position: 13th
The Rausings' late father Gad developed the Tetra Pak packaging system. Today, Jorn is based in Surrey and heads the mergers and acquisitions division of packaging firm Tetra Laval (which Tetra Pak became part of). His sister Kirsten is also on the board. Jorn also has a stake in online retailer Ocado, while Kirsten is a successful breeder of racehorses.
Tetra Laval has enjoyed strong growth in the Far East over the past year, and the Sunday Times has added £400 million to the family's wealth as a result.
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