LAKSHMI MITTAL TOPS BRITAIN'S RICH LIST
(30 April 2007)

Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal has again emerged as Britain's richest person after topping The Sunday Times' annual Rich List and adding £4.1 billion to his existing wealth, now worth £19 billion. Apart from Mittal, other foreigners in the top of the list include Russian magnate and Chelsea football owner Roman Abramovich, who is worth £10.8 billion. The Duke of Westminster is ranked number five on the list.

The Queen has an estimated wealth of about £300 million, according to the compiler of the annual Sunday Times Rich List, Philip Beresford. But if the royal art collection and other assets had been classed as belonging to her, she would be in the "top two or three" of the list.

The richest footballer in the world, David Beckham, has increased his wealth by £25 million to £112 million this year - and is ranked at 619. Virgin's flamboyant owner Richard Branson has dropped out of the Top Ten and is down from number nine to number 11 with his £3.1 billion assets. EasyJet's Stelios Haji-Ioannou is closing the gap on Branson, having broken the billionaire barrier. Stelios is now worth £1.29 billion and has moved up from number 80 on the list to number 49.

To get onto the 1,000-strong list, entrants must live in Britain and have personal wealth of at least £70 million, compared with £60 million pounds a year ago. When the Rich List was launched in 1989, 75%of those on it had inherited their wealth. Today, 78% of those on the list have made their money themselves through business.

RICHEST ASIANS IN BRITAIN

Among the Asians listed in the Sunday Times Rich List, the fastest movers have been steel magnate Lasksmi Mittal, following the takeover of European steel maker Arcelor; Lord Swraj Paul and his company Caparo and Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Resources.