UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have seen their personal wealth surpass that of King Charles, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List. This list ranks the top 1,000 wealthiest individuals or families residing in the United Kingdom by net wealth.
The couple's fortune increased by more than £120 million over the past year, rising from £529 million to £651 million in 2024. This increase placed Sunak at 245th on the list, while King Charles, with a wealth increase from £600 million to £610 million, held the 258th rank.
Sunak's wealth, driven largely by Murty's stake in Infosys, founded by her father Narayan Murthy, marks the highest ever for a resident of 10 Downing Street. The Mirror reported that Sunak and Murty's fortune is majorly influenced by Infosys.
In 2022, the BBC noted that the couple's wealth surpassed that of the last Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal fortune was valued at £370 million. However, the report highlighted the difficulty in estimating the personal wealth of monarchs, given the monarchy's wider assets, including estates and palaces, valued at billions of pounds.
This makes Sunak the first front-line politician to feature on the Sunday Times' annual wealth list in its 35-year history. He had previously appeared on the list in 2022 as Chancellor, with a family wealth estimated at £730 million.
Sky News reported that the combined wealth of the list's 350 wealthiest people exceeded £795 billion, surpassing the GDP of Poland.
Who Is Richest In The UK?
The Hinduja Family, of Indian Origin, topped the list again with their wealth increasing to £37.196 billion. The family's companies operate across various sectors including automotive, oil, banking, IT, healthcare, and real estate.
The list's analysis pointed to the group's expansion through acquisition and the rising stock market valuations of their main holdings, totalling £8.7 billion.
Other notable Indian-origin billionaires include David and Simon Reuben, ranked third with £24.977 billion, and Lakshmi N. Mittal of ArcelorMittal, ranked eighth with £14.921 billion.
The 36th edition of the Rich List noted a decline in the number of billionaires, from 177 in 2022 to 165 this year. Complier Robert Watts of the Sunday Times suggested this marks the end of Britain's billionaire bloom, with many home-grown entrepreneurs seeing their fortunes fall.
Despite the overall decline, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney became the first UK Musician to achieve billionaire status, boosting his wealth by £50 million over the past year.
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