While the world's wealth rankings remain heavily dominated by technology titans, Britain's billionaires tell a very different story.
According to the latest Forbes 2025 Billionaires List, the UK's top 10 richest individuals come from a remarkably diverse range of industries, including hedge funds, chemicals, manufacturing, construction equipment, real estate, fintech and online gambling.
Unlike Silicon Valley-driven fortunes built on platform monopolies or AI innovation, the UK's richest figures have largely amassed their wealth through finance, industrial production and property development.
Collectively, these ten individuals control an estimated £89 billion ($112 billion), underscoring Britain's continued relevance as a powerhouse of traditional enterprise and modern finance alike.
Here are the 10 wealthiest people in the United Kingdom in 2025, ranked by net worth.
1. Michael Platt – £14.8 billion ($18.8 billion)
Industry: Hedge funds and finance
Britain's richest individual this year is Michael Platt, co-founder and chief executive of BlueCrest Capital Management. Established in 2000 after Platt's career at JPMorgan, BlueCrest became one of the world's most successful hedge funds, with assets once exceeding $35 billion. Following a pivot away from outside investors in 2015, the firm now operates as a family office and has enjoyed extraordinary performance, posting returns as high as 153 per cent in 2022 and 95 per cent in 2020.
2. Sir Jim Ratcliffe – £12.6 billion ($16 billion)
Industry: Chemicals and manufacturing
Chemical engineer turned industrial magnate Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the founder and chairman of INEOS, a global chemical conglomerate producing products ranging from plastics to pharmaceutical solvents. INEOS has become a major player in European energy diversification and petrochemical joint ventures, including business partnerships with Sinopec exceeding $7 billion (£5.6bn). Ratcliffe has also expanded into sports ownership, recently acquiring a 28 per cent stake in Manchester United for approximately $1.5 billion (£1.2bn).
3. Sir James Dyson – £11.5 billion ($14.6 billion)
Industry: Manufacturing and consumer engineering
Famous for reinventing household appliances, Sir James Dyson built his fortune through patented vacuum technology and premium consumer design. His business now spans air purification systems, hair technology devices and electronics manufacturing, exporting British engineering innovation worldwide.
4. David Reuben – £10.1 billion ($12.8 billion)
Industry: Real estate and infrastructure
Alongside his brother Simon, David Reuben presides over one of Britain's largest property portfolios. Originally involved in metals trading, the Reuben brothers diversified into hotels, data centres, logistics operations and large-scale commercial real estate across Europe and North America.
5. Simon Reuben – £10.1 billion ($12.8 billion)
Industry: Real estate and investments
Simon Reuben jointly manages the family's vast property holdings. Together, the brothers remain among the most influential figures in UK commercial and infrastructure investment, with assets spanning aviation, hospitality and global logistics.
6. Sir Christopher Hohn – £7.3 billion ($9.2 billion)
Industry: Hedge fund management
Founder of activist hedge fund TCI, Sir Christopher Hohn is known for injecting capital into underperforming companies and demanding structural reforms. He also ranks among the UK's most prominent philanthropists, donating hundreds of millions to health equality, environmental and education initiatives.
7. Anthony Bamford & Family – £7.2 billion ($9.1 billion)
Industry: Construction equipment
Chairman of JCB, Lord Anthony Bamford leads one of Britain's most significant manufacturing exporters. JCB machinery is sold in over 150 countries, making the firm a rare example of UK industrial production with sustained global dominance.
8. Nik Storonsky – £6.2 billion ($7.9 billion)
Industry: Fintech
At just 40 years old, Nik Storonsky is the youngest member of Britain's billionaire elite. As the co-founder of digital banking platform Revolut, he represents the UK's clearest success story in financial technology, with the company serving tens of millions of users worldwide.
9. Denise Coates – £5.8 billion ($7.3 billion)
Industry: Online gambling
Founder of betting giant Bet365, Denise Coates is Britain's richest self-made woman. She transformed a small high-street betting operation into one of the world's most profitable online gambling platforms operating in dozens of international markets.
10. Alexander Gerko – £5.7 billion ($7.2 billion)
Industry: High-frequency trading
Former mathematician Alexander Gerko built his fortune through XTX Markets, now one of the world's largest algorithmic currency trading firms. Operating largely behind the scenes of the City of London, Gerko's firm dominates liquidity provision across global currency markets.
A Distinctive British Billionaire Landscape
Unlike the global billionaire elite whose fortunes overwhelmingly originate in big tech platforms, Britain's top 10 billionaires reflect a far wider economic foundation.
Their wealth stems from finance, chemicals, manufacturing, property development, engineering, online gaming and emerging fintech rather than social media empires or AI corporations.
As the UK continues navigating post-Brexit economic shifts and tightening regulation, the enduring success of these figures underscores Britain's continuing strength in diversified enterprise rather than tech concentration, offering a telling contrast to the digital dominance reshaping wealth elsewhere in the world.
