The Duke of Westminster remains Britain’s – and the Northwest’s – wealthiest landowner, according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2014.The Duke’s £700m gain in the wealth stakes is recognised in this year’s Rich List.

He heads a list of the 20 richest in the region who are worth £24.86billion collectively and constitute the greatest concentration of billionaires outside the capital.

Sir Paul McCartney makes the top 10 of the Northwest Rich List, worth £710m alongside his third wife Nancy Shevell.

Her £150m wealth comes from her father’s American trucking operation, while Macca continues to amass his fortune through an extensive touring schedule that last year featured 32 dates as part of his Out There tour.

Income from the Beatles continues to flow more than 50 years after they took the musical world by storm.

No fewer than seven families living or with their businesses based in the region have achieved billionaire status this year.

 

Knutsford Guardian:

Westminster’s wealth is centred on Mayfair and Belgravia in London, but his family seat is at Eaton Hall, in Cheshire, and he owns significant parts of Liverpool city centre.

Assets in his Grosvenor Group property operation increased to nearly £3.5billion in 2012.

Tom Morris and family see their wealth top £2billion this year off the back of the continued success of his Home Bargains chain of discount stores.

The TJ Morris parent company is worth £2billion and the Morris family see their wealth rise by £830m in the year.

The Arora brothers – Simon, Bobby and Robin – have also seen huge gains of £300m in the past 12 months through B&M Retail, their discount chain. The brothers are now worth £1.4billion and are planning a flotation of the business.

While Peter and Fred Done, the brothers who own Birchwood based BetFred, are eighth on the list with £900m - £100m up on last year.

The 26th annual Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – is published on May 18 in a special 116-page issue of Sunday Times Magazine.

The list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It excludes bank accounts, to which the paper has no access.