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 put together 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
After a decade at JP Morgan and taking the plunge to start BlueCrest Capital Management alone, it was Platt’s deep understanding of the markets and risk management that made him wealthy.
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. In 2022 Ineos and Sinopec created petrochemical joint ventures which was valued at over $7 billion.
Ineos made headlines in 2023, by purchasing $1.4 billion of U.S. onshore oil and gas assets from Chesapeake Energy.
On top of that, he's recognized for his investments in various fields, including energy and real estate which helped him build his wealth even more.
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
Dyson was frustrated with the vacuum his family used which influenced him in creating a better version in 1978, using a cyclone to lift dirt.
Did you know Dyson employs more than 5,000 engineers across the world. In 2020 they announced their commitment to invest the equivalent of $14 million every week on product development until 2025.
In 2019 Dyson scrapped plans to build electric cars after speaking with their team they realized the market just wasn’t there yet.
Interestingly, Dyson attended art school in London, and doesn’t have a degree in engineering.
One of Dysons more popular products is the air purifiers, they claim to provide the most accurate picture of indoor air quality worldwide, using real data to back it up.
Dysons product innovation and performance have meant his products have taken Globally. 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
Alex Gerko, a former FX quant trader at Deutsche Bank and the head of FX trading at GSA Capital. In 2015, Gerko founded the XTX Markets, an algorithmic trading company that has made waves in the industry.
As Co-CEO of XTX, Gerko has helped build the company to hit record profits in 2021. In 2022, XTX became the largest emerging market FX provider.
Gerko is a British citizen, born in Russia. He has lived and worked in the UK since 2006
Gerko is an active investor who has backed 62 companies including Compology, who specialise in AI solutions in waste and transportation and Yet Analytics as an angel investor.
In 2022, Gerko received more than $1 billion in XTX dividends.
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 a powerhouse in the business world, they hold a diverse portfolio, which includes real estate, technology, and renewable energy.
In December 2016, they sold 49% of their data centre business, GlobalSwitch, to a group of Chinese investors for nearly $3 billion. Just a couple years later in July 2018, they sold a further 25% of the business 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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