UK fashion retail may be a tough business but plenty of key names figure on the latest Sunday Times Rich List with founders, celebrities, families and property moguls all making an impact and being part of a list that contains more billionaires than ever.
David and Simon Reuben, who own London’s high-end shopping destination Burlington Arcade, are at the top of the fashion retail list being worth just under £28 billion. In a huge and diverse portfolio, they have other key pieces of real estate such as John Lewis’s HQ and multiple retail properties in the UK and US.
The Weston family, who control the bulk of shares in Primark’s parent company, are also near the top of the fashion retailer list with a combined estimated fortune of an almost-as-eye-watering £18.9 billion.
And Pentland Brands’ Stephen Rubin and family are worth £8.75 billion via their ownership of business including Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury of New Zealand, Endura, ellesse, Mitre, Red or Dead and more. Meanwhile Frasers Group majority owner Mike Ashley is sitting on a fortune of £3.44 billion.
Ashley made his money originally via the Sports Direct chain and sport continues to provide us with plenty of Rich Listers this year.
Sir David and Lady Victoria Beckham started out in football and pop music, respectively, but have since spun their varied interests (via endorsement deals, business ownership and stakes in hugely successful group such as Authentic Brands) into a combined amount adding up to £1.19 billion.
Also staying with sport, Gymshark founder Ben Francis is apparently sitting on £800 million, being the top name of an ever-growing list of athleisure mega-millionaires.
They include Castore founders Tom and Phil Beahon who are worth £350 million, Lounge founders Dan and Melanie Marsden (£253 million), and Adanola founder Hyrum Cook (£200m).
And we can’t ignore Sir Jim Ratcliffe. He may no longer own Belstaff but he has a stake in Castore and is one of the richest of all on the Rich List with a fortune worth more than almost everyone else in the ranking — over £15 billion.
The fashion-linked list isn’t only about retail and sport/athlesiure. Dame Margaret and Helen Barbour have £674 million, while married couple Superdry boss Julian Dunkerton and Jade Holland Cooper (she of the brand that carries her surname) have £518 million between them.
Also on the under-40 list are Represent founders Mike and George Heaton (£185 million) and Arne founders Ryan and Reece Broadhurst (£110 million).
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