"Rich List"

Sir Paul McCartney now richer than King Charles

Paul McCartney receives honorary membership of the Royal College of Music from the then Prince of Wales in the 1996 photo.

(Bild: Photo Press Service)

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is the first musician in the UK with a fortune of more than one billion pounds (1.17 billion euros), according to estimates by the Sunday Times newspaper. The 81-year-old benefited in 2023 from his tour, the increase in value of his back catalog and a Beyoncé cover version of his song "Blackbird", the paper reported on Friday.

In addition, the Beatles' two compilation albums were re-released with 21 newly added tracks. Finally, the famous band released "Now And Then", presumably their last recording. The newspaper estimated that Sir Paul's fortune had increased by 50 million pounds compared to the previous year to one billion. The traditional "Sunday Times Rich List" is based on research by editors and estimates and is considered reliable.

Sheeran and Dua Lipa richest under 40
According to the estimates, other artists such as Elton John are also among the wealthiest people in the UK. The "40 richest under 40" include other musicians such as Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Adele and Dua Lipa. "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling is just under the billion-pound threshold with 945 million pounds. The 58-year-old also appears in the list of the most generous donors: According to the report, she donated a total of 17.9 million pounds in the previous year, primarily to protect women and children.

Dua Lipa is one of the richest people under 40 in the UK.

(Bild: APA/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Charles richer than Queen Elizabeth II.
In 258th place on the rich list is King Charles III with an estimated fortune of 610 million pounds (around 700 million euros), 10 million more than in the previous year.

In this respect, the British head of state has surpassed his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Following his divorce from Princess Diana, Charles had rebuilt his finances and increased his vast royal possessions. The royal estates of Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham in eastern England are the monarch's private property.

However, the "Sunday Times" admitted that the estimates are particularly complicated in the case of the King. For example, the royal family holds numerous amounts of valuable art as well as jewelry and - partly through his property managers Crown Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster - large estates. However, the Times emphasized that these estates do not belong to the king personally, so they were not included in the list.

Hugh Grosvenor is the richest nobleman
The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, is the richest aristocrat with an estimated fortune of 10.13 billion pounds. The King's godson, who is not related to the Royal Family, is a large landowner and owns the Grosvenor Estate with land in England and Scotland as well as several properties in upmarket London districts such as Belgravia and Mayfair.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty are also estimated to be wealthier than the King, albeit only slightly. The couple are ranked 245th with 651 million pounds - an increase of around 150 million pounds. According to the Sunday Times, this was mainly due to the fact that the value of Murty's shares in the Indian IT company Infosys, which her father co-founded, increased significantly. Sunak, who earned a lot of money as an investment banker before his political career, is considered the richest prime minister in history. According to opinion polls, however, he and his Conservatives are facing a devastating defeat in the upcoming general election.

Hugh Grosvenor is the richest British aristocrat

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Mark Stewart / Camera Press)

With a fortune of around 37.2 billion pounds, entrepreneur Gopi Hinduja and his conglomerate Hinduja Group are the richest people in the United Kingdom. However, according to the figures, the number of billionaires has fallen for the second year in a row to 151.

According to experts, one reason for this is that the government wants to limit a loophole that allows people not to pay tax in the UK on their income abroad. Several entrepreneurs have already relocated to countries with lower tax rates. The prices for luxury properties in London are enormous, so many wealthy people fear that their investments will not pay off. Added to this are high inflation and weaker economic growth.