NW’s richest worth £13.4bn as Matalan boss sees fortune soar
THE top 10 wealthiest people in the North West are worth a a staggering
£13.48bn, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The Cheshire-based Duke of Westminster, retains top spot, and is third overall in the list with a fortune of £6.75bn, up 4% or £250m on last year.
The Duke’s Grosvenor Group, which owns big chunks of ultra-valuable land in London’s Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, is also behind the Liverpool One shopping centre.
Lord Grantchester and the Moores family, who made their fortune from football pools and home shopping, are in second place in the North West list, with a
£1.2bn fortune. This haul places them at 45th in the list overall.
In third place is Bury-born, Isle of Man based John Whittaker, the founder of Peel Holdings, which owns the Trafford Centre, Manchester Ship Canal, Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The publicity-shy tycoon, 68, is ranked 50th in the survey with a fortune of
£1.06bn, down £240m on last year, according to the newspaper’s research.
Unquestionably the biggest riser is Matalan founder John Hargreaves, who enters the billionaire’s club for the first time, despite failing to find a buyer willing to meet his £1.5bn valuation of his Skelmersdale-based discount chain.
Mr Hargreaves, who now lives in Monaco, is a former Liverpool market trader.
He saw his wealth rocket 209% from £330m last year to £1.02bn thanks to a recent £525m refinancing deal, which saw him take a £250m dividend.
Peter Jones and family, who own property group Emerson complete the top five and are worth £673m, up £117m in the year.
The Alderley Edge-based group owns large chunks of land in South Manchester as well in Portugal and Florida. The Jones family is in 90th place overall.
Bookmaking, property and business services has earned Salford-born brothers Fred and Peter Done a £660m haul, earning them joint 92nd place on the Rich List.
Their biggest asset is the Warrington-based Betfred business which has 800 outlets nationwide. The Sunday Times estimates their worth has increased £150m since last year.
Other members of the North West top 10 are: the Walker family, whose interests in aviation, steel, property and Blackburn Rovers FC are valued at £600m; Philip Sheppard and family, who own European Metal Recycling, are worth £530m.
Lancashire tycoon Trevor Hemmings, who recently pocketed £40m from the sale of Blackpool Tower and other sites in the seaside town is worth £500m, while the Bolton-based Warburton family, who control the UK’s number one bakery business complete the top 10 and are worth £495m.
