Anders Holch Povlsen remains richest in Scotland as country sees fewer billionaires

Anders Holch Povlsen remains richest in Scotland as country sees fewer billionaires

Despite having lost an approximate £1.77 billion in net worth, Anders Holch Povlsen has kept his position as Scotland’s richest person, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List.

This year’s edition, a 76-page special in The Sunday Times Magazine, recorded Mr Povlsen’s wealth at around £6.73bn, down from £8.5bn in 2023.

It also reported the largest drop in the number of billionaires in its 36-year history, from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 165 this year.

The 350 individuals and families featured on the list collectively hold a wealth of £795.361bn, surpassing the annual GDP of Poland. Notable entries include Sir Elton John, Lord Lloyd-Webber, and David and Victoria Beckham, with the minimum threshold for the list being £350 million.



David Moulsdale, the founder of the Glasgow-based laser eye surgery business Optical Express, made his Rich List debut with estimated wealth of £374m. There is also a place in the annual wealth rankings for Flure Grossart, the daughter of the late Edinburgh financier Sir Angus Grossart.

Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, said: “This year’s Sunday Times Rich List suggests Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end. Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall and some of the global super rich who came here are moving away.

“Thousands of British livelihoods rely on the super-rich to some extent. We’ll have to wait and see whether we have now reached peak billionaire, and what that means for our economy.

“These may be harder times to create wealth, but The Sunday Times Rich List continues to unearth entrepreneurs building fortunes in diverse and often surprising ways. This year’s new entries include people who have made money from artificial intelligence and virtual worlds as well as plumbing supplies and teaching aides.

“We know many of our readers find such people — especially those from humbler backgrounds — very inspiring.”

The top 10 richest in Scotland

Scotland

Rank

Name

Sector

2024

wealth

Wealth increase/

decrease

1

Anders Holch Povlsen 

Fashion: Bestseller and Asos

£6.73bn

Down £1.77bn

2

Glenn Gordon and family

Spirits: William Grant and Sons

£5.619bn

Up £1.012bn

3

Sir Ian Wood and family

Oil services and fishing: Wood Group

£1.911bn

Up £91m

4

Mahdi Al-Tajir

Metals, oil and water: Highland Spring

£1.641bn

Up £4m

5

Lady Philomena Clark and family

Car sales: Arnold Clark

£1.581bn

Down £310m

6

Sandy and James Easdale

Transport and property: McGill’s

£1.45bn

Up £25m

7

The Thomson family

Media: DC Thomson

£1.367bn

Down £90m

8

JK Rowling

Novels and films: Harry Potter

£945m

Up £70m

9

Sir Brian Souter and Dame Ann Gloag

Transport: Stagecoach Group

£815m

Up £35m

10

Lord Laidlaw 

Conferences: IIR

£741m

Down £8m

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