UK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 1 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 57 Net Worth: $13 bn Source: Real Estate Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor is the U.K.'s wealthiest landowner and has benefited from a rebound in the premium property market. The sixth Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor property group has valuable holdings on 5 continents. He is also an officer in Britain's reserve forces and Chancellor of University of Chester. Britain's Duke of Westminster Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, arrives at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire June 16, 2003.REUTERS
UK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 1 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 57 Net Worth: $13 bn Source: Real Estate Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor is the U.K.'s wealthiest landowner and has benefited from a rebound in the premium property market. The sixth Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor property group has valuable holdings on 5 continents. He is also an officer in Britain's reserve forces and Chancellor of University of Chester. Britain's Duke of Westminster Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, arrives at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire June 16, 2003.REUTERSUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 2 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 114 Net Worth: $ 8bn Source: Investments, Real Estate Mumbai-born brothers David and Simon Reuben, who were raised in the UK, joined together in Transworld, a metals trader that invested in Russia and Kazakhstan in the 1990s. They took these proceeds and invested in UK real estate. Their latest development includes a proposed glass tower to dominate city skyline, nicknamed "The Cucumber." They are following an expansion in metals trading with Metalloyd Limited. The duo take active roles in the Reuben Foundation, which funds health care and educational causes.www.reubenbrothers.comUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 3 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 132 Net Worth: $7.2 bn Source: Retail Retail tycoon Philip Green brought trendy British fashion to New York with clothing chain Topshop in 2009 with help from supermodel buddy Kate Moss. This year his joint venture with Simon Cowell, Greenwell Entertainment, has launched its own reality talent show on America's Fox TV. Philip Green bought his first store in London at the age of 27 and climbed up the retail ladder. He later bought then-struggling Arcadia Group in 2002 for $1.2 billion and is the owner of the Arcadia fashion empire. He shares fortune with wife Cristina. Philip Green was named International Retailer of the Year by the US National Retail Federation in Jan. 2011. Here owner of the Arcadia fashion empire, Philip Green (right) arrives with his wife Cristina (left) and daughter Chloe at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, on May 18, 2010.REUTERSUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 4 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 254 Net Worth: $4.2 Source: Formula One Bernard Eccelstone has turned Formula One racing into globally popular sport. He sold his F1 stake in 2005 to CVC Capital Partners, then reinvested with CVC to make new joint company that now controls 100% of Formula One Group. With his 5.3% remaining stake Ecclestone, 80, still runs the $6 billion empire. Bernard Charles Eccelstone, Formula One chief, stands by his statue, unveiled at the Hungaroring race track, in Hungary, on August 23, 2003.REUTERSUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 4 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 254 Net Worth: $4.2 bn Source: Virgin Richard Branson, the entrepreneur, will be taking tourists to space when his Virgin Galactic launches next year. Branson announced that he will make room on his rocket plane for scientists, who will carry out research and experiments. The Virgin boss launched a magazine exclusively for the iPad called 'Project'. He and fellow billionaire Vinod Khosla backed biofuels start-up Gevo. He also launched a US nonprofit, the Carbon War Room, aiming to cut carbon emissions. British businessman Richard Branson at a news conference by the members of The Global Commission on Drug Policy in New York, on June 2, 2011.REUTERSUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 4 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 254 Net Worth: $4.2 bn Source: Real Estate The Cadogan family fortune is on the rise again as the market for prime central London real estate recovers from its recession slump. The 8th Earl Cadogan, Charles Cadogan, heads the 300-year-old real estate trust, which owns 90 acres in London's Chelsea. A picture of the 300-year-old Cadogan Estate.www.cadogan.co.ukUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 7 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 297 Net Worth: $3.7 bn Source: Banking Bruno Schroder, a fourth-generation banker, continues as the non-executive director of his family's financial-services company, Schroders. Bruno Schroder shares the fortunes of the company with his sister Charmaine, brother-in-law George Mallinckrodt, who is a longtime company director, and with nephew Philip Mallinckrodt, who is sitting on the company board.www.schroders.comUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 8 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 347 Net Worth: $3.2 bn Source: Investment Joe Lewis is the main investor in Tavistock Group which has interests in more than 100 companies. He has a $500 million stake in pub operator Mitchells & Butler; owns British soccer team Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs); invests in restaurants Freebirds and Blackhawk Grille. Its real estate arm bought the St. Regis Atlanta in February; also has 8,000-plus acres in Orlando and recently completed a luxury resort called Albany with golfers Tiger Woods and Ernie Els near Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. A Tottenham Hotspur fan, stands beneath the team's logo on a wall at their White Hart Lane football ground, on March 30, 2001.REUTERSUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 8 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 347 Net Worth: $ 3.2 Source: Media, Retail The identical twins David and Frederick Barclay sold their InterContinental Hotel Group shares last year and later bought a 25% stake in the London firm Maybourne, parent company of the luxury Berkeley, Claridge's and Connaught hotels. The duo purchased their first hotel in 1975. Their empire also includes the Telegraph Newspaper Group, and U.K.'s largest online retailer, Shop Direct Group.www.maybourne.comUK Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 10 World Forbes Billionaire Ranking: 409 Net Worth: $2.8 bn Source: Finance Richard Elman, Forbes Asia's 2009 businessman of the year, stepped down as executive chairman of commodities trading firm Noble Group in September and returned two months later as the non-executive chairman. With Elman, who founded Noble in 1986, and his efforts the company has grown to employ 11,000 people at offices and plants in 38 countries. Noble Group CEO Richard Elman smiles during an interview in Hong Kong, on April 25, 2008. Elman, who began his career in a scrap yard in England at the age of 15, is among the few non-Chinese listed by Forbes magazine as the wealthiest in town.REUTERS
Forbes magazine has unveiled its annual rankings of the richest people on the planet. This is the 25th year the rankings have been reported, and they are based on investigative work by 50 journalists across 13 countries.
The journalists had access to prospective candidates, work-related associates, and details of business negotiations and deals, real-estate transactions, luxury purchases, and charity-related work. The final net worth of these billionaires is based on a valuation of individual assets, as well as an accounting for debt.
In the United Kingdom, the Forbes list revealed, Britain has 32 billionaires, three more than last year. The wealthiest are land owners Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor and his family, with a net worth of $13 billion. Among the others, Sir Philip Green ranked No. 132 and Richard Branson No. 254. Meanwhile, J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series of novels, came in at No. 1,140 on the list, with a net worth of $1 billion.
The 2011 ranking reinforces the observed shifts in global economic power with a steep increase in the number of billionaires from the emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) economies. The number of billionaires from China, at 115, is almost double last year's count. Russia and Brazil had 101 and 30, respectively, which was a two-thirds jump. India had 55, which is six more than in 2010.
Start the slideshow to have a look at the 10 richest men in the U.K.
