London: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, who first made their mark in the annual Sunday Times Rich List two years ago, have advanced in the 2024 edition released on Friday, courtesy of Murty’s substantial Infosys shareholding.
The couple, both aged 44, have climbed from 275th place last year to 245th with an estimated wealth of GBP 651 million, solidifying their position as the wealthiest occupants of 10 Downing Street.
Murty’s earnings reportedly surpass those of her husband, with financial disclosures from February indicating that Sunak earned GBP 2.2 million in 2022-23, compared to Murty’s estimated GBP 13 million in dividends over the past year. The duo’s most prized asset remains Murty’s stake in Infosys, a Bangalore-based IT firm co-founded by her father, Narayan Murthy, according to the newspaper’s analysis.
The value of these shares surged by GBP 108.8 million over the past year to nearly GBP 590 million. The latest annual report indicates that Murty received approximately GBP 13 million in dividends during this period, in addition to over a million pounds received in previous years. She is anticipated to receive another GBP 10.5 million this year, the report notes.
The annual compilation of Britain’s wealthiest families is once again led by the Indian-origin Hinduja family, whose wealth rose over the past year, reaching GBP 37.196 billion following the launch of their luxury OWO Hotel in London.
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The top 10 of the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List features another pair of India-born brothers, David and Simon Reuben, who ascended to third place from fourth last year, with an estimated fortune of GBP 24.977 billion. NRI tycoon of ArcelorMittal steelworks Lakshmi N. Mittal occupies the 8th spot, slipping two places from last year with an estimated GBP 14.921 billion. Vedanta Resources’ industrialist Anil Agarwal follows at No. 23 with an estimated GBP 7 billion, down one rank from 2023.
Other Indian-origin billionaires on the 2024 list include textiles entrepreneur Prakash Lohia at No. 30 with an estimated GBP 6.23 billion, retail magnates Mohsin and Zuber Issa at No. 39 with GBP 5 billion, and pharmaceutical leaders Navin and Varsha Engineer at 58 with GBP 3 billion. Among the top 100 richest Britons are brothers Simon, Bobby, and Robin Arora at No. 65 with GBP 2.682 billion, and leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and family ranked 67th with an estimated wealth of GBP 2.6 billion, unchanged from last year.
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Fashion tycoon Sunder Genomal, a newcomer in 2023, is placed 77th with a fortune estimated at GBP 2.214 billion, while hoteliers Jasminder Singh and family occupy the 83rd spot with GBP 2.001 billion. Overall, the 36th edition of the rich list reveals the largest decline in billionaires in its history, dropping from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 165 this year.
“This year’s Sunday Times Rich List indicates that Britain’s billionaire surge has reached its zenith. Many of our indigenous entrepreneurs have witnessed a decline in their fortunes, and some of the global elite who flocked here are now seeking pastures anew,” remarked the list’s compiler, Robert Watts. However, transitioning from millionaire to billionaire on the roster is former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, now the first UK musician to achieve that status after increasing his wealth by GBP 50 million over the past year.
