By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The number of billionaires in the United Kingdom has dropped in 2025, marking the sharpest decline since The Sunday Times began its Rich List in 1989, the newspaper reported on Friday.
The 85-year-old Businessman Gopi Hinduja, and his family topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a fortune of 35 billion pounds ($46.5 billion).
David and Simon Reuben and their family, co-owners of UK-based football club, Newcastle, followed with 26.87 billion pounds. Leonard Blavatnik came in third at 25.73 billion pounds.
The 2025 list includes 156 billionaires—down from 165 in 2024—continuing a recent downward trend. “It was the biggest drop in billionaires since the list began in 1989,” the paper said.
The fall has been linked to global market instability, especially during a period affected by trade tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Many individuals with shares in publicly traded companies saw their net worth take a hit.
In addition, the paper noted the UK Labour government’s strained ties with the business elite and “revenue-raising tax changes” as contributing factors. One key policy shift: the removal of the ‘non-dom’ tax exemption, which previously benefited wealthy foreign residents.
Billionaires no longer featured on the list include French luxury mogul Francois-Henri Pinault and actress wife Salma Hayek, the Fayed family (former owners of Harrods), and South African-born diamond tycoon Nicky Oppenheimer.
Some high-profile names saw their fortunes rise. King Charles’ wealth increased by 30 million pounds to 640 million, boosting his position by 20 spots to 258 on the 350-member list. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty ranked 238th.
A notable newcomer was U.S. talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who entered the list with a fortune of 363 million pounds after relocating to the scenic Cotswolds region in southern England.
(Reuters)