Christopher Harborne, the crypto billionaire who controversially gifted Nigel Farage £5m, has entered the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time at number six, with an estimated fortune of £18.2bn. He is also the richest British-born person on the list, which ranks the 350 wealthiest UK residents and Britons abroad.
Harborne gave the money to Farage weeks before the Reform leader announced his candidacy for the 2024 general election. Farage initially said the gift was for personal security costs and did not need to be declared, but later called it a “reward” for his Brexit campaigning. The parliamentary standards watchdog has launched an investigation into whether the donation falls within rules requiring MPs to declare gifts received in the 12 months before entering parliament.
Other first-time entrants include Noel and Liam Gallagher, who made their debut thanks to their comeback tour generating nearly £400m, giving them an estimated fortune of £375m. David and Victoria Beckham also join the billionaire club, with David becoming Britain’s first billionaire sportsperson; their wealth is estimated at £1.2bn, boosted by his stake in Inter Miami and a property empire.
Labour donor Gary Lubner, co-owner of the Autoglass group, appears for the first time with an estimated £1.3bn fortune, having pledged to give away 95% of it. Sports promoters Barry and Eddie Hearn, and Emily Eavis, daughter of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, also debut on the list.
The combined wealth of the UK’s 350 wealthiest individuals rose by 1.4% to £784bn, with the number of billionaires increasing by one to 157. Rich list compiler Robert Watts noted significant change, with one in six individuals from two years ago no longer featuring, and many foreign billionaires moving away, while more British nationals now reside in Dubai, Switzerland, and Monaco.
