Millionaires, billionaires, and, likely soon, trillionaries are everywhere in the Midlands. Meanwhile, my pay packet has barely changed in years… Money, it’s the great divide between many of us, and this chasm is only growing wider—the least rich people can do is let us put them on a list and gawk at them like animals at the zoo.
Insider has revealed its annual ranking of the wealthiest individuals in the Midlands, and with a well-known Stoke-on-Trent family—the Coates family, who own 93.3 per cent of Bet365—taking the top spot, with a combined fortune of over£10bn. But there are plenty of Birmingham and Black Country big spenders on the list, too.
Mike Ashley
Mike Ashley owns the British high street, near enough, with the Frasers Group, including Sports Direct, Evans Cycles, Jack Wills, as well as brands like Slazenger and Lonsdale, plus shares in online retailers Boohoo and ASOS. He’s apparently eyeing up buying Sheffield Wednesday (having previously owned Newcastle United), but few know he was actually born in Walsall.
Position: 3
Net worth: £3.828bn
Retail: Fashion and sports equipment
Sir Peter Rigby
The Rigby Group may own Coventry Airport (and many other businesses across the world), but Sir Peter Rigby’s Rigby Foundation is better known for funding education programmes that support young people in central and south Birmingham.
Position: 7
Net worth: £1.7bn
Business services: IT, aviation and hotels
Ranjit Boparan
The Bilston-born, Birmingham-based ‘Chicken King’, aka Ranjit Boparan, grew his riches through the 2 Sisters Food Group, but now owns everything from Giraffe World Kitchen to Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ed’s Easy Diner and Bernard Matthews.
Position: 10
Net worth: £1.050bn
Food and drink: Poultry and restaurants
Lord Edmiston
The West Midlands-based entrepreneur’s IM Group is based in Solihull. He is also the sponsor of three ‘Grace Academy’ schools in Coventry, Solihull, and Darlaston.
Position: 11
Net worth: £1bn
Consumer goods: Car sales and property
The Richardson Family
The Richardson family is responsible for some of the West Midlands and Birmingham’s biggest landmarks—including the Star City leisure complex and Merry Hill shopping centre.
Position: 12
Net worth: £985m
Property: Commercial real estate
Ben Francis
The Bromsgrove-born, Aston Villa fanatic and founder of Gymshark (which was founded in Birmingham, but is now located in Solihull) is even the first patron of the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity and has an honorary degree from Aston University.
Position: 18
Net worth: £485m
Fashion: Gymwear
Chris Woolridge
Managing Director of Wedge Group Galvanizing, which is headquartered in the Black Country’s Willenhall.
Position: 24
Net worth: £344m
Industry: Galvanizing
Keith Bradshaw
This “proud Brummie” from Aston and “Britain’s most entrepreneurial accountant” co-founded Listers (one of England’s largest car dealerships) and many other multi-million-pound businesses. In 2016, he held the title of the High Sheriff of the West Midlands.
Position: 30
Net worth: £301m
Consumer goods: Car sales
Raj Mehta
Another Biltson chicken innovator, as a young apprentice butcher, Raj Mehta launched Salisbury Poultry in 1989, serving fresh and frozen poultry throughout the country.
Rank: 47
Net worth: £200m
Food and drink: Poultry farming
The richest people in the Midlands:
- Denise, John and Peter Coates (£10.245bn)
- Lord Bamford and family (£9.316bn)
- Mike Ashley (£3.794bn)
- John Bloor (£2.8bn)
- Sir Will Adderley and family (£2bn)
- Tony Langley and family (£1.9bn)
- Sir Peter, James and Steve Rigby and family (£1.7bn)
- Caspar and Sebastian MacDonald-Hall and family (£1.4bn)
- Sir Tony Gallagher (£1.32bn)
- Ranjit Boparan and family (£1.050bn)
To see the complete Insider list, head here.