Beckhams Become UK’s First Billionaire Sportsman; Oasis Debut on Rich List

Sir David Beckham has become the first British sportsman to reach billionaire status, with Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher appearing on the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time.

The combined wealth of Beckham and his wife, Victoria, is estimated at 1.2 billion pounds, while the Gallaghers are valued at 375 million pounds.

Topping the list for the fifth year in a row are Sanjay and Dheeraj Hinduja, with a fortune of 38 billion pounds. The brothers head the Hinduja Group, which has global operations in oil, gas, banking and transport.

This year’s biggest gainers include Nik Storonsky, co-founder of fintech firm Revolut, and trading entrepreneur Alex Gerko.

1. Sanjay and Dheeraj Hinduja and family (£38bn)

2. David and Simon Reuben and family (£27.9bn)

3. Sir Leonard Blavatnik (£26.8bn)

5. Guy, George, Alannah and Galen Weston and family (£18.9bn)

6. Christopher Harborne (£18.1bn)

9. Sir Jim Ratcliffe: (£15.1bn)

10. Igor and Dmitry Bukhman: (£14.2bn)

The Sunday Times Rich List calculates there are now 157 UK billionaires, 20 fewer than four years ago.

King Charles’ estimated wealth has grown by 40 million pounds to 680 million pounds, lifting him to 230th place on the list.

That puts him ahead of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, who are on the list with an estimated 563 million pounds.

Beckham and his wife have doubled their wealth in the past 12 months, making him the UK’s first billionaire sportsman.

The biggest declines this year include inventor Sir James Dyson, whose fortune fell to 12 billion pounds from 20.8 billion pounds, and Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, down to 15.19 billion pounds from 17 billion pounds.

The Sunday Times attributed Dyson’s revenue decline partly to US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

A new addition to the list is Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis and her family, with an estimated fortune of 400 million pounds.

Speaking to the BBC last year, Eavis said: “As much as there is talk about our profit, which we do still need to have in order to recover and also to get land, we also try to give away as much money as we can, which is really, I think, at the heart of it.”

“Imagine if we tried to sell it [the festival] out. It would be awful. It would be the end. I’d rather literally die before that happens. I mean, it just can’t happen.”

Among the new entrants is entrepreneur Christopher Harborne, who now ranks sixth.

The British billionaire has set records for political donations to Reform UK and recently drew attention for his 5 million pound gift to Nigel Farage in 2024.

Sir Elton John, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, JK Rowling, Charlotte Tilbury, Sir Brian May and Sir Lewis Hamilton are among the well-known figures appearing in the annual survey.

The Sunday Times reports that at least 15 foreign nationals who appeared on last year’s list have been removed because they now live elsewhere, while nearly a third of UK citizens featured no longer reside on the British mainland.

Robert Watts, who compiles the list, described this year’s Rich List as “a tale of two exoduses.”

He said: “One in six of the individuals and families who appeared on the list two years ago don’t feature this time.”

“Many foreign billionaires who have been living in the UK have also dropped out because they have moved away.”

“We have also seen a sharp rise in the number of British nationals now resident in Dubai, Switzerland and Monaco. As UK nationals these people remain on our Rich List – wherever they now live.”

The list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property and other assets such as art, racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies.

It does not include bank accounts, which the newspaper has no access to.

Meanwhile, boxer Tyson Fury is among the debutants on the newspaper’s 40 under 40 Rich List.

Thirty-four of the entrants on that list have self-made fortunes, and nearly a third are linked to London-based AI start-ups.

Topping that list is the Duke and Duchess of Westminster with an estimated 9.7 billion pound fortune, while Gymshark founder Ben Francis ranks fifth with an estimated 800 million pounds. He dropped out of university to focus on his sportswear brand.