Newcomer takes the top spot on Yorkshire’s Rich List 2016
THE owner of one of the largest sporting estates in the country has topped The Sunday Times Rich List 2016 for the Yorkshire region.
American billionaire Richard Miller and his wife Marie Chantal, owners of the 36,000-acre Gunnerside Estate in Swaledale now hold the top spot with an estimated wealth of £1.58bn, up a massive £540m.
The family, which include Mr Miller’s daughter Marie Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, who sits on the board of his company DFS (Duty Free Shoppers) were new to the list last year, following the sale of Mr Miller’s private equity business, Squadron Capital.
The rise in rankings follows a near 20% rise in the value of LVMH, the French luxury goods group that holds a controlling stake in Hong Kong-Duty Free Shoppers.
They replace Eddie and Malcolm Healey, the retail entrepreneurs behind major shopping developments including Sheffield’s Meadowhall, the sale of which banked Eddie £420m. His son, Mark, holds £250m of wind farm assets in Scotland, as well as selling Hygena Kitchens.
The Healey family has a combined wealth of £1.43bn, down £70m on last year.
There was no change for Lord Kirkham who came in third place, followed by Tony Murray, a French-born British businessman who turned around Leeds manufacturers Nu-Swift in the 1980s as well as owning the Andrew Sykes business and London Security, of which his sons are directors. 
A portfolio of six hotels, worth £400m, topped off his wealth. At 96 years old, he makes up the last (and oldest) of the Yorkshire billionaires.
Sir Ken Morrison and family have maintained the fifth place spot this year with a fortune of £770m up from last year’s estimated wealth of £733m. The Morrison wealth was in decline last year, falling by £167m, but like the supermarket that bears his name, showed signs of recovery over the past 12 months.
Following him are property tycoon and political donor Paul Sykes with wealth of £690m, no change despite a divorce from wife Valeria who has become a property entrepreneur in her own right, buying Grantley Hall for a leisure development at the end of last year.
He was followed by Terry Bramall, former chairman of construction giant Keepmoat, then Philip Meeson in eighth place, with a fortune up £219m last year, a 131% rise. Mr Meeson of Jet2.com fame saw the biggest wealth gain outside the billionaire division.
Shares in Leeds-based Dart Group have taken off with the business now worth close to £1bn. Profits have doubled at the low-cost airline Jet2.com in the six months to last September, and he has ordered a fleet of 27 Boeing airliners to cope with the expansion.
Also on the list are Hull City owner and Labour donor Assem Allam, who saw his fortune dip £100m this year, Paul and Johnny Caddick and family, whose wealth increased £50m to £250m, the Shepherd family, owners of the building group of the same name based in York whose fortune came in at £253m. Jack Tordoff and family, owners of the JCT600 brand also saw their fortune go up £15m to £383m.
