Three people under the age of 35 from Wales have made it onto this year's Sunday Times Rich Live for young people. Each year, The Sunday Times Magazine reveals the wealth of the 350 richest people in Britain. According to the magazine, there are 171 billionaires in the UK recorded in 2023, which is down six from last year and is the first fall in 14 years.
Alongside the multi billionaires, five of whom are from Wales and are worth in excess of a whopping £9bn between them, the Sunday Times also compiles a list of the UK's youngest wealthiest people all aged under 35. From popstars to entrepreneurs, the '35 under 35' list looks at those who have made their fortunes young.
The list is based on identifiable wealth which includes land, property, other assets such as racehorses, and significant shares in public companies. It does not include bank accounts, which the paper has no access to. It also includes family wealth.
Read more: The Sunday Times rich list 2023: The five richest people in Wales
The people topping The Sunday Times Rich List for Wales this year are Sir Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman. Moritz's wealth had grown by half a billion last year taking his worth to £4bn. This year however, it has gone down by £667m to £3.333bn.
Looking at the youngsters, Welsh footballing legend Gareth Bale is one of those who has enough of a fortune to net himself a place on the list. The Cardiff born footballer has made his £70 million pound fortune stemming from his 17-year football career, during which he reportedly earned £600,000 a week.
These are Wales' richest people under 35-years-old according to The Sunday Times young rich list 2023.
1. Dan and Melanie Marsden £151m
Half Welsh Melanie Marsden alongside her husband Dan placed 12th on the '35 under 35' list, with a combined fortune of £151m. Melanie studied at Cardiff University, but the Welsh link goes deeper for the Lounge Underwear founder, whose mother is Welsh. Melanie was raised on the outskirts of Birmingham.
In 2021 the 30-year-old said: "I'm half-Welsh so going to Cardiff University was something mum's quite proud of," Mel said. "I've always loved Wales as a country and Cardiff had a lovely buzz about it. It was quite welcoming for me – I was quite nervous as a pre-graduate and there was that comfort knowing I was half-Welsh."
The Sunday Times reports that Melanie focuses on “everything the customer sees and reads” within the company. The couple paid themselves a £2.2 million dividend.
2. Gareth Bale £70m
The Cardiff-born footballing legend Gareth Bale came in at 22nd on the rich list with a fortune of £70m. Despite hanging up his boots he reportedly earned £600,000 a week at the height of his career. The 33-year-old currently lives in the Vale of Glamorgan, with his mansion including a golf course.
The superstar announced his retirement from football in January, bringing an end to a remarkable career that saw him become a titan of Welsh sport.
3 = Charlie Morgan £55m
Swansea friends Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn have been on the journey of a lifetime since starting Au Vodka back in 2016. They spotted a gap in the market as they watched their pals unwrap a bottle of their favourite vodka for their 18th, 19th, or 20th birthday, and dreamed about what it would be like to create something a little bit different.
First producing 2,000 bottles of Au Vodka and launching locally in a few bars around their home city of Swansea. Word of mouth across the city helped it build up a great reputation, and it gathered plenty of attention on Instagram too, perhaps thanks to its trademark eye-catching gold bottle.AU’s sales shot up to £43.9 million in 2021-22.
3 = Jackson Quinn £55m
According to the Sunday Times, Quinn also owns more than a third of the £150-million brand. From its early stages of a one-time limited run of 2,000 bottles to now manufacturing over 35,000 bottles daily, the brand has experienced skyrocketing growth as it has become a game changer within the alcohol industry.
It now has an expanded range of flavours including Au Original, Black Grape, Fruit Punch, Blue Raspberry, Green Watermelon, Red Cherry and Pineapple Crush, along with a limited edition Double Espresso Coffee Liqueur released in December of 2021. The Vodka is stocked in several major supermarkets. Read the full interview with Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn here.
The Sunday Times 35 richest people under 35 in the UK
1. Duke of Westminster* £9.878bn
2. Lady Charlotte Wellesley* £2.167bn
3. Johnny Boufarhat £1.714bn
4. Ben Francis* £900m
5. India Rose James* £758m
6. Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham £455m
7. Ed Sheeran £300m
8. Rory McIlroy £200m
9. Adele £165m
10. Timothy Goodwin* £163m
11. Lewis Morgan £160m
12. Dan and Melanie Marsden £151m
13= David Campbell* £150m
13= Anthony Joshua £150m
13= Harry Styles £150m
16. Christian Owens £101m
17. Vishal Karia £98m
18. Daniel Radcliffe £92m
19= Reece Wabara £83m
19= Charlie Wilson £83m
21. Dua Lipa £75m
22. Gareth Bale £70m
23. Raheem Sterling £61m
24= Reiss and Kris Edgerton £60m
24= Josh Stevens £60m
24= Emma Watson £60m
27= Charlie Morgan £55m
27= Jackson Quinn £55m
29= Niall Horan £54m
29= Ayman Rahman and Fateha Begum £54m
29= Louis Tomlinson £54m
32. Harry Kane £51m
33= Cara Delevingne £50m
33= Christian Facey £50m
33= Daniel Knight £50m
On the main rich list, which includes people of any age, there are five billionaires named among the wealthiest people in the UK. These include a former journalist, a co-founder of moneysupermarket.com and a luxury hotelier. You can find out more about them and the list here.
READ NEXT:
- Ryan Reynolds says he couldn't pull off moving to Wales right now but door is open
- Cowboy builder 'destroyed homes of customers' and left one family in 'financial meltdown' with £78k bill
- Grand valleys house packed with original features and stunning views that's less than £500k
- Gareth Bale loses the plot as first ever hole in one caught on camera during California golf trip
- The £19 flight from Cardiff Airport that will take you to one of Spain's most popular beaches
