We all know the names Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates - the top billionaires in the world who all happen to be from the USA. But are you aware of who the ultra-wealthy people are from the United Kingdom? The UK is home to a thriving community of self-made billionaires who have built impressive business empires through savvy sales and entrepreneurial skills.
From retail titans to tech innovators, these British billionaires offer valuable lessons for sales professionals looking to reach the highest echelons of success. By examining how the UK's richest people built their wealth and dominance in their respective industries, we can uncover sales strategies and mindsets that can be applied to drive breakthrough performance. Understanding the backgrounds, rise to power, and sales-focused habits of the UK's wealthiest individuals provides a roadmap for ascending to the top of your own sales game.
We have compiled a list of the top 5 richest people in the UK
1. Michael Platt is currently the richest person in the UK.
Net worth: GBP 14 billion
Location: London
Known as: CEO and co-founder of BlueCrest Capital Management
Platt became wealthy through his success in the financial markets, his wealth stems from his expertise in trading various financial instruments including bonds, currencies and derivatives.
BlueCrest is one of the world's largest hedge fund firms; at its peak, it managed more than USD 35 billion in assets.
A push into equities and poor results led to investor exits and he returned outside investors' money in 2015, remaking BlueCrest into a family office.
The firm has flourished since then, generating returns as high as 153% in 2022 and 95% in 2020 with no years worse than 25%.
2. Sir James Ratcliffe is also a UK billionaire
Net worth: GBP 12.8 billion
Location: Hampshire & Monaco
Known as: CEO of INEOS chemicals group
Former chemical engineer James Ratcliffe is the founder, chairman and majority owner of chemical powerhouse Ineos Group.
The London-based conglomerate produces everything from synthetic oils and plastics to solvents used to make insulin and antibiotics.
Ratcliffe mortgaged his house in 1992 to lead the buyout of a BP chemicals business; 6 years later, he bought a plant from that firm to form Ineos.
Ineos acquired two chemicals businesses from BP in 2021 for $5 billion. It formed petrochemical JVs with Sinopec worth more than $7 billion in 2022.
In 2023, Ineos acquired $1.4 billion of U.S. onshore oil and gas assets from Chesapeake Energy.
Additionally, he's known for his investments in other sectors, including energy and real estate, further bolstering his financial success.
3. Sir James Dyson is the UK's 3rd richest
Net worth: GBP 10.6 billion
Location: UK
Known as: Founder of the Dyson company
Frustrated with his family's vacuum, Dyson set out to invent a better version in 1978 using a cyclone to lift dirt.
Dyson employs more than 5,000 engineers around the world and said in 2020 it would invest the equivalent of $14 million a week on product development through 2025.
In 2019 Dyson scrapped plans to build electric cars after telling staff they were not commercially viable.
Dyson, who attended art school in London, does not have an engineering degree.
Dyson's popular line of intelligent air purifiers claims to have used the data to create the most accurate picture of indoor air quality worldwide.
His innovative product quickly gained popularity due to its superior performance and became a global success, making Dyson one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the UK.
4. Alexander Gerko is another UK Billionaire
Net worth: GBP 8.11 billion
Location: North London
Known as: CEO of XTX Markets
Former FX quant trader of Deutsche Bank and head of FX trading of GSA Capital, Alex Gerko founded algorithmic trading company XTX Markets in 2015.
Gerko is the co-CEO of XTX, which posted record profits in 2021 and became the largest emerging market FX provider in 2022.
Born in Russia, he has lived and worked in the U.K. since 2006 and has U.K. citizenship.
Gerko has invested in 62 companies including Compology, a provider of artificial intelligence solutions in waste and transportation and Yet Analytics as an angel investor, according to Pitchbook.
Gerko received more than $1 billion in XTX dividends in 2022.
5. David and Simon Reuben are UK billionaires making them some of the richest people in the UK
Net worth: £7.5 billion each
Location: Monaco & London
Known as: Entrepreneurs in real estate, technology, and investments
The Reuben brothers are successful entrepreneurs with a diverse portfolio, including real estate, technology, and renewable energy.
In December 2016, they sold 49% of their data centre business, GlobalSwitch, to a consortium of Chinese investors for nearly $3 billion. They sold a further 25% of the business in July 2018 for $2.7 billion to a consortium of Asian institutional and private investors.
They have consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom and globally.
The brothers were born in Mumbai and raised in the U.K., where David started trading metals and Simon imported carpets and bought real estate.
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