[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17883101

The UK's richest people have defied the double-dip recession to become even richer over the past year, according to the annual Sunday Times Rich List.

The newspaper's research reveals the combined worth of the country's 1,000 wealthiest people is £414bn, up 4.7%.

It means their joint wealth has passed the level last seen in 2008, before the financial crash, to set a new record.

Top spot for the eighth straight year is held by Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, 61, with £12.7bn.

There are now 77 billionaires on the list, with individuals needing to have at least £72m to make the top 1,000.

The richest billionaire of all, Mr Mittal, retains his position despite seeing 27% of his family fortune wiped out in the last 12 months because of a drop in the share price of their steel producing business.

The Mittal family have held the number one spot in the list since 2005.

Another person who has made money from the metal industry, Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov, is second with £12.3bn, while Chelsea owner and oil baron Roman Abramovich is third with £9.5bn, despite being £800m down on last year.

The richest woman is former Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli, who shares a £7.4bn fortune with her husband Ernesto, while the Duke of Westminster's property portfolio makes him worth £7.3bn.

Several leading British entrepreneurs, who are further down the list, have seen their wealth increase this year.

Diamond retailer Laurence Graff's wealth has risen to £3,300m while Sir Anthony Bamford, owner of the JCB earth-moving machinery firm, has seen his fortune go up to £3,150m.

Sir Paul McCartney's wedding to heiress Nancy Shevell boosts his position in the list
Inventor Sir James Dyson, who created the bagless vacuum cleaner, has also seen his wealth increase, to £2,650m.

Some of Britain's best-known performers and artists have also seen their fortunes improve.

Sir Paul McCartney's recent marriage to his third wife Nancy Shevell, who is the daughter of an American trucking magnate, sees him become the third wealthiest man in British music, as their combined wealth is now rated at £665m.

The two people surpassing him are music executive Clive Calder, who is worth £1,350m, and theatre owner and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, whose fortune has gone up to £725m.

Harry Potter creator JK Rowling's worth has risen by £30m in the last year to £560m, putting her 148th on the list, and a new addition to the list is London-based founder of the Spotify music website Daniel Ek, ranked 395th with a fortune of £190m - the same amount as David and Victoria Beckham.

..... and, of course, that nice Mr Cameron gave them all a bit of a rebate, courtesy of Britain's undeserving elderly .....

[arista]

Originally Posted by Omah

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17883101



..... and, of course, that nice Mr Cameron gave them all a bit of a rebate, courtesy of Britain's undeserving elderly .....

The Rich list
is no problem.

Its Good to be Rich
nothing wrong with AsdaWalmart
for example , making sure your food
is better priced.

[Kazanne]

I have no problem with people who are rich? most of them have worked hard for what they have,some got lucky,it does not bother me one bit,fair play to them,most of us today have more than what is needed to live and before anyone blames the nice Mr Cameron too many times just remember Mr Milliband is not begging in rags!

[arista]

Originally Posted by kazanne

I have no problem with people who are rich? most of them have worked hard for what they have,some got lucky,it does not bother me one bit,fair play to them,most of us today have more than what is needed to live and before anyone blames the nice Mr Cameron too many times just remember Mr Milliband is not begging in rags!

Yes Good Point
Omah avoids that

[Kizzy]

The article concerns the richest people....If Ed Milliband is not on the list then why bring him into the equation?

[arista]

Originally Posted by kizzy

The article concerns the richest people....If Ed Milliband is not on the list then why bring him into the equation?

Your Dork meeting The Rich

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by kizzy

The article concerns the richest people....If Ed Milliband is not on the list then why bring him into the equation?

Well I dont think it mentioned David Cameron but he was brought into it,so quite obviously a dig at the Tories.

[Kizzy]

It was not a dig imo..As he happens to be the prime minister who, in the eyes of some has made some unwise decisions.
Why Ed Milliband is 'my' dork arista?.....haha

[Livia]

A lot of those people are industrialists and entrepreneurs, they trade, they employ people, they invest in future commerce and industry... they're the kind of people we want right now because we need their money to invest in jobs. We don't want them taking their wealth somewhere else at a time when we desperately need them to be investing here.

[Kizzy]

Where did Mr Dyson take his industry?...

[Z]

My uncle was on the rich list last year, assuming he's on it again this year.. insane!

[lostalex]

The UK is a small country, it's not exactly a very impressive list making it on the UK list lol.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

A lot of those people are industrialists and entrepreneurs, they trade, they employ people, they invest in future commerce and industry... they're the kind of people we want right now because we need their money to invest in jobs. We don't want them taking their wealth somewhere else at a time when we desperately need them to be investing here.

Wasn't Roman Abramovich the Russian "Al Capone" before he went "straight" ?

I doubt that he's interested in people, trade, future commerce and industry, except insofar as he can buy, sell or "get rid of" them .....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by kizzy

Where did Mr Dyson take his industry?...

Initially, all Dyson vacuum cleaners and washing machines were made in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. In 2002, the company transferred vacuum cleaner production to Malaysia. Dyson claimed that they requested planning permission to expand the factory to increase vacuum cleaner production, but that this application failed. However, the local government claims that no such permission was ever sought, as the land Dyson planned to use was privately owned and the original owner did not want to sell. As Dyson was the major manufacturing company in Wiltshire outside Swindon, this move aroused some controversy (nearly 800 manufacturing jobs were lost) . A year later, washing machine production was also moved to Malaysia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_(...es_to_Malaysia

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Omah

Wasn't Roman Abramovich the Russian "Al Capone" before he went "straight" ?

I doubt that he's interested in people, trade, future commerce and industry, except insofar as he can buy, sell or "get rid of" them .....

Exactly, none of those will pay tax here, or manufacture their product here...

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

The UK is a small country, it's not exactly a very impressive list making it on the UK list lol.

Yeah, some of the billionaires are practically paupers.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

Yeah, some of the billionaires are practically paupers.

on a global scale, yes, actually. you said it sarcastically, but, it's true.

Look at the billionaires in russia, and south america, and asia, and yes, the richest of the UK really are dwarfed. seriously.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Omah

Wasn't Roman Abramovich the Russian "Al Capone" before he went "straight" ?

I doubt that he's interested in people, trade, future commerce and industry, except insofar as he can buy, sell or "get rid of" them* .....

* Only 6 of the 30 strong Cheslea FC First Team squad are English .....

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

on a global scale, yes, actually. you said it sarcastically, but, it's true.

Look at the billionaires in russia, and south america, and asia, and yes, the richest of the UK really are dwarfed. seriously.

It was your suggestion that being a billionaire is "nothing". There's always people better off, but being that rich isn't anything to be scoffed at.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by lostalex

The UK is a small country, it's not exactly a very impressive list making it on the UK list lol.

We are a small island as you say....If you broke the US up into UK bitesize chunks It may be representative?