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Fortune of £13 billion makes Reuben brothers UK’s richest

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Property and internet tycoons David and Simon Reuben are the UK's wealthiest people with a fortune of over £13 billion, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Brothers David, 77, and Simon, 74, who are of Iraqi Jewish descent, have a collection of London property which includes Millbank Tower, the John Lewis Partnership HQ in Victoria.

Their internet data company Global Switchwhich, which they acquired in 2004, is now estimated to be worth at least £4.5bn.

The pair moved up from fifth place in last year’s annual survey of the country’s 1,000 richest people.
Investor Len Blavatnik dropped two places to third wealthiest with a fortune of over £11 billion.

The 57-year-old, who owns Warner Music and has investments ranging from oil to publishing and digital music, dropped £2billion from the 2015 list.

Mr Blavatnik, whose holdings are worth £11.5bn, was born in Ukraine but left with his family in 1978 when the Soviet Union allowed Jews to emigrate. He is an American citizen, but owns a home in London.

Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich dropped three places to 13th, with a fortune of £6.4bn from his Russian oil business.

Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green’s fortune is down £280 million, due to losses at BHS, leaving him with £3.2bn. He is listed with his wife Lady Tina in 29th place, seven places lower than last year.

Ranked 35th, the same as last year, the Pears family boast riches of £3bn from their property empire.
Also in property, the Orthodox Freshwater family are in 73rd position, with £1.4bn to their name.

Apprentice host Lord Sugar is £110 million richer than last year thanks to his property investments. He has a fortune of £1.1bn, putting him at 95 at the list.

Media mogul Richard Desmond has made a £1.1bn rise in his riches and is up 39 places in this year’s list ranking him at 48.
His property and media empire is worth £2.2bn.

Cash and carry king Nathan Kirsh (£4.03bn); foreign exchange trader and Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis (£3.1bn); shipping magnate Idan Ofer (£2.7bn) and diamond dealers Laurence and Francois Graff (£3.2bn) all figure in the top 40.

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