Sir James Dyson is the wealthiest person in Britain, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2020.
The inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner saw his wealth grow by £3.6billion over the past year - up to £16.2billion.
Sir James, who announced he was moving Dyson's HQ from Wiltshire to Singapore last year, topped the list for the first time.
In February, it was expected the number of billionaires would rise to nearly 160, but it fell by four to 147 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the Sunday Times said.
A record 25 female billionaires made the list, which also showed the overall wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK was down by £29billion on 2019.
Robert Watts, who compiled the list, said: “Ever since the financial crisis of 2008-9, Britain’s wealthiest people have become richer and richer.
“Covid-19 has called time on their golden period. This year’s rich list paints a picture of Britain on the brink of calamity – two months after lockdown and already billions of pounds have been wiped out.
“You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard to deny that our economy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to millions.”
Top 10 richest people in UK
1. Sir James Dyson and family, household goods and technology, £16.2billion
2. Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family, industry and finance, £16billion
3. David and Simon Reuben, property and internet, £16billion
4. Sir Leonard Blavatnik, investment, music and media, £15.78billion
5. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos chemical giant, £12.15billion
6. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, inheritance and investment, £12.1billion
7. Alisher Usmanov, mining and investment, £11.68billion
8. Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family, retail, £10.53billion
9. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, inheritance, brewing and banking, £10.3billion
10. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family, property, £10.29billion
The full list covering the wealthiest 1,000 people in the UK was published on Sunday (May 17) in a 136-page edition of The Sunday Times Magazine.
