Britain’s super-rich “kept calm and carried on making billions” despite worries about Brexit, according to The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List for 2017, with more billionaires living in the country than ever before.
\nIn the past 12 months, the total wealth of Britain’s richest 1,000 individuals and families surged 14 percent to \u00a3658 billion ($854 billion, 777 billion euros), the paper said.
\nIt said that there are now more UK-based billionaires than ever before, at 134.
\nIndustrialist brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja topped the list with a combined wealth of \u00a316.2 billion, up \u00a33.2 billion over the previous year.
\n“While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of Britain’s richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions,” said the list compiler, Robert Watts.
\n“We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but that simply did not materialise.”
\nDespite gloomy forecasts ahead of the referendum, the UK economy proved resilient in the last six months of 2016 with a weaker pound and record low interest rates helping to boost exports and investor confidence.
\n“A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and since last June equities have soared,” Watts said.
\nLondon remains the city with the most billionaires at 86, up nine over the previous year.
\nAdele joins list
\nOverall, 19 people increased their wealth by \u00a31 billion or more in a year.
\nPublicity-shy brothers David and Simon Reuben, who topped the year last year, fell down two places despite adding \u00a3900 million to their \u00a314 billion fortune.
\nAmong the 58 newcomers — a minimum of \u00a3110 million is now required to make the list compared to just \u00a315 million in 1997 — are famous names including chart topper Adele.
\nThe singer, who released her third studio album “25” and went on a world tour in 2016, is now worth \u00a3125 million, making her the sixth richest person under 30.
\nFootball player Zlatan Ibrahimovic and “Fifty Shades of Grey” author EL James also made the cut for the first time.
\nOther well-known names include Paul McCartney (\u00a3780 million), Elton John (\u00a3290 million), Lewis Hamilton (\u00a3131 million), and David and Victoria Beckham who have a combined wealth of \u00a3300 million.
\n“Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling continued to work her magic, adding \u00a350 million to bring her estimated fortune to \u00a3650 million.
\nQueen Elizabeth II, who turned 91 in April, slipped 10 places to become the 329th richest person in her kingdom, with a wealth of \u00a3360 million.
\nThe list does not count the totality of the income and assets from the Crown Estate — the collection of lands and holdings belonging to the monarch but controlled by an independent board — whose property portfolio alone is now worth \u00a312 billion.
\nHer fortune is therefore easily dwarfed by the Duke of Westminster’s.
\nAt just 26 the Duke, one of Prince George’s godfathers once dubbed “the world’s most eligible bachelor,” is at the head of a \u00a39.5 billion empire.<\/p>\n