The rich get richer — generally speaking

There are 171 UK billionaires in 2023, six fewer than last year. Oh dear, who screwed up…?

HARRY Kane, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and the Duke of Westminster all feature in the new edition of The Sunday Times 35 under 35 Rich List.

A 68-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine spills (and counts) the beans on the 350 richest people in Britain.

Sunday Times Rich List 2023
L to R: Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Harry Kane. Photo credits: see end of article

There are six fewer billionaires than last year, with a still impressive tally of 171 — but that’s the first fall for 14 years. Their combined wealth is up, though: £683.856bn, or £30.734bn more than last year.

The Duke of Westminster heads the list; he inherited his title and a vast land and property portfolio — including 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia — when he was just 25. Now 32, he oversees the dynasty’s company portfolio, which has real estate in 43 cities across 10 countries. His family’s total wealth is estimated at £9.878bn.

Others in the list are self-made stars and entrepreneurs who have made it big with fashion, vodka, lingerie and perfume. Most have taken advantage of social media and the new age of Instagram to market directly to their peers.

Ben Francis has built a £900m fortune in just over a decade with sports clothing brand Gymshark. Athleisure and fashion brands feature strongly, with Dan and Melanie Marsden’s Lounge Underwear, AYBL, run by Reiss and Kris Edgerton, and Manière De Voir, founded by former England footballer Reece Wabara.

Gen Z’s appetite for gaming, and a generation of coding expertise, have boosted the fortunes of Johnny Boufahrat, Christian Owens, Christian Facey, and Daniel Knight, all of whose tech firms make the list.

Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said readers were fascinated by those from humble backgrounds who start their own businesses, work hard, and succeed.

“Many of these young guns are already employing hundreds of people,” he said, “and some will go on to be the future of the British economy.”

Many on the list — including Ben Francis, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling — share tips for success. They emphasise the importance of giving back and supporting others.

Analysis of the list reveals that the majority made their own fortunes, while nine were born with “the silver spoon”. Those who inherited wealth are worth comparatively more. Of the 35 listed individuals, 33 made it alone, with a combined worth of £5.8bn; the other five, who owe at least some of their wealth to inheritance, account for £13.1bn.

Four were born outside the UK, the others mostly come from London or Worcestershire. About half attended state schools, and a third didn’t go on to further education.

The Sunday Times Rich List 2023: the wealthiest 35 under 35 in UK

2023 Rank Name Source of Wealth 2023 Wealth
1 The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family Property: Grosvenor Group £9.878bn
2 Lady Charlotte Wellesley Brewing: Casa Cruz £2.167bn
3 Johnny Boufahrat Video conference app: Hopin £1.714bn
4 Ben Francis Sportswear: Gymshark £900m
5 India Rose James Property and Art: Soho Revue £758m
6 Oliver & Alexander Kent-Braham Car insurance: Marshmallow £455m
7 Ed Sheeran Music £300m
8 Rory McIlroy Golf £200m
9 Adele Music £165m
10 Timothy Goodwin Engineering: The Goodwin business £163m
11 Lewis Morgan Property and sportswear: Gymshark £160m
12 Dan & Melanie Marsden Lingerie brand: Lounge Underwear £151m
13 David Campbell Manufacturing: SureScreen £150m
13 Anthony Joshua Boxing £150m
13 Harry Styles Music and film £150m
16 Christian Owens Software: Paddle £101m
17 Vishal Karia Perfume: Affinity Fragrances £98m
18 Daniel Radcliffe Film £92m
19 Reece Wabara Fashion: Manière De Voir £83m
19 Charlie Wilson Property £83m
21 Dua Lipa Music, model and podcast £75m
22 Gareth Bale Football £70m
23 Raheem Sterling Football and property £61m
24 Reiss & Kris Edgerton Jewellery: Tayroc and Sportswear: ABYL £60m
24 Josh Stevens Retail: One Retail Group £60m
24 Emma Watson Film, drink, investment: Hestia Hebe £60m
27 Charlie Morgan Drink: AU Vodka £55m
27 Jackson Quinn Drink: AU Vodka £55m
29 Niall Horan Music £54m
29 Ayman Rahman & Fateha Begum Energy: Dare International £54m
29 Louis Tomlinson Music £54m
32 Harry Kane Football £51m
33 Cara Delevingne Model and actress £50m
33 Christian Facey Advertising: Audiomob £50m
33 Daniel Knight Developer: Kinetic Games £50m

 

Photo credits
Harry Styles: Lovclyhes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dua Lipa: VOGUE Taiwan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Harry Kane: Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

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