The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 is based on our estimates of the minimum wealth of Britain’s 350 richest people or families. The valuations were carried out between November 2025 and April 24, 2026.
The combined wealth of the top 350 is £784 billion — a sum larger than the annual GDP of Belgium ($776 billion), Sweden ($760 billion) and Israel ($719 billion). It represents about a quarter of the United Kingdom’s total annual GDP.
The compilers of the Rich List measure identifiable wealth — such as land, property, racehorses, art or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. We exclude bank accounts to which we have no access and small shareholdings in a private equity portfolio. The actual size of someone’s fortune may be significantly larger than our conservative figures.
… Family trusts are also aggregated and included where visible. We distinguish trusts held on behalf of family members, usually children and grandchildren, which we include as family wealth, and charitable trusts, which are not included.
Land is valued on what and where it is. Most valuable is London land with planning permission, then other urban land, then good farming, forestry, poor farming and finally desolate land. We take account of shooting and fishing rights. Estimates of agricultural land values have been given by Strutt & Parker, the land agency and chartered surveying group….