Data firm boss storms Rich List

DIGITAL entrepreneur Lawrence Jones has made a dramatic debut on the annual ranking of Britain’s richest.

Jones, who co-founded UKFast, the data centres company based just outside Manchester city centre, is the region’s highest-placed new entrant in The Sunday Times Rich List 2015 with an estimated fortune of £247m.

Jones, who received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the digital economy, counts Sir Richard Branson among his friends and mentors.

He has recently been strengthening his senior team at UKFast with the hire of corporate lawyer Nicola Frost as head of legal and Micahel Hogan as finance director.

Further afield, the keen skier last year acquired an hotel in the Swiss resort of Verbiers, which he has invested significantly in.

His debut in The Rich List at 407th place, puts him him several places higher than former England captain David Beckham and his fashion designer wife Victoria, who are said to be wortth £240m and are ranked 410th in the 1,000 richest people in the country.

See who else is in the money.

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