Beckhams Join Billionaires Club as Oasis Crash the Sunday Times Rich List
BBC Business reported Friday that Sir David Beckham and Lady Victoria Beckham have crossed the billionaire threshold, joining the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List with a combined estimated fortune of £1.2bn. The milestone makes David Beckham Britain’s first billionaire sportsman. Rock duo Oasis, meaning brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, also appear on the list for the first time. Their combined wealth is placed at around £375m.
Hinduja Brothers Retain the Top Spot
Sanjay and Dheeraj Hinduja of the Hinduja Group hold the number-one position for a fifth straight year. Their family fortune is estimated at £38bn, built across oil, gas, banking, and transport interests. The Reubens family comes in second at £27.9bn, followed by Sir Leonard Blavatnik at £26.8bn. Two of this year’s fastest climbers are Nik Storonsky, co-founder of fintech firm Revolut, and trading entrepreneur Alex Gerko, placing seventh and eighth respectively.
Notable Fallers and a Tariff Effect
Not everyone’s fortunes improved. Inventor Sir James Dyson saw his estimated wealth drop sharply by £8.8bn to £12bn. The Sunday Times attributed part of that decline to US tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe also slipped, falling from £17bn to roughly £15.1bn. King Charles III fared modestly better, adding an estimated £40m to reach £680m. That nudges the monarch ahead of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, together worth an estimated £563m.
Background: A Shrinking and Shifting Billionaire Class
The Rich List has tracked the UK’s wealthiest individuals since 1989. This year’s edition counts 157 billionaires, down 20 from four years ago. List compiler Robert Watts described the 2026 edition as “a tale of two exoduses.” Foreign nationals previously based in the UK have been departing, while a growing share of British nationals have relocated to Dubai, Switzerland, and Monaco. One in six names from two years ago no longer appear. UK nationals living abroad still qualify for inclusion, regardless of residency.
New Faces, From Glastonbury to Reform UK
Emily Eavis and her family, organisers behind the Glastonbury Festival, debut with an estimated £400m. Entrepreneur Christopher Harborne enters at sixth place with £18.1bn. Harborne drew significant public attention earlier this year after a reported £5m donation to Nigel Farage in 2024 came to light. Boxer Tyson Fury also makes the paper’s separate 40 Under 40 list, where nearly a third of entrants are tied to London-based AI startups.
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