Sir James Dyson has climbed the summit of the richest person in the United Kingdom for the first time, after his wealth grew by £3.6 billion in the last year, Sunday Times reports.
The inventor- entrepreneur saw his wealth climb to £16.2 billion.
Sir James is best known for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner, developing the “G-Force” cleaner in 1983.
In February, it was expected the number of billionaires would rise to nearly 160, but it fell by four to 147 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the Sunday Times said.
A record 25 female billionaires make the list, which also shows the overall wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK is down by £29 billion on last year.
List compiler Robert Watts said: “Ever since the financial crisis of 2008-9, Britain’s wealthiest people have become richer and richer.
“Covid-19 has called time on their golden period. This year’s rich list paints a picture of Britain on the brink of calamity – two months after lockdown and already billions of pounds have been wiped out.
“You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard to deny that our economy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to millions.”
The Sunday Times Rich List also reveals that Britain’s super-rich have lost more than £54 billion in the past two months amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The top 10 richest people in the UK for 2020 are:
Sir James Dyson and family, household goods and technology, £16.2 billion.
Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family, industry and finance, £16 billion.
David and Simon Reuben, property and internet, £16 billion.
Sir Leonard Blavatnik, investment, music and media, £15.78 billion.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos chemical giant, £12.15 billion.
Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, inheritance and investment, £12.1 billion.
Alisher Usmanov, mining and investment, £11.68 billion.
Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family, retail, £10.53 billion
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, inheritance, brewing and banking, £10.3 billion.
The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family, property, £10.29 billion.
