The Sunday Times Rich List will be published on Sunday 29 April. Looking at the 1,000 richest people in the UK and the top 250 in Ireland, it will also reveal the wealthiest music millionaires.
David and Victoria Beckham have raised their fortune by £25 million to £190 million in just one year. The former Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham not only received a prize for The Best Designer Brand at The British Fashion Awards, but her three-year-old label won over high-status designers Tom Ford, Burberry and Stella McCartney. Over in menswear, footballing legend David Beckham boosted his off-pitch earnings when he joined forces with H&M to undertake a new bodywear contract, profiting with a cool £4 million.
Rock star Chris Martin enters the Rich List in 2012 for the first time. Last year saw the release of Coldplay’s fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto. The band’s latest indie rock hit has helped to boost the joint wealth of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow to £72 million.
Spotify’s 29-year-old Swedish-born founder Daniel Ek steps in to The Rich List spotlight this week. Spotify launched in 2006 and in six short years Ek has rocketed up the Rich List with an astounding wealth of £190 million. The digital music download company is valued at £1.2 billion. This now places the London-based Ek in the Music Top 10 alongside the better-known names of Sir Mick Jagger and Simon Cowell.
Britain’s richest performer Sir Paul McCartney moves up to third place in the latest Sunday Times Rich List Music Millionaires Top 50. The McCartney family wealth has gone up by £170 million in one year – from £475 million to £665 million. His marriage in 2011 to Nancy Shevell, along with his album sales and live performances, has boosted his already impressive fortune. Shevell’s personal wealth comes from a £150 million stake in New England Motor Freight, her family haulage business.
The official guide will be in the Sunday Times on April 29, and it can be viewed online at http://thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlist. The richest sportsmen and women will appear in The Sunday Times Sport Rich List 2012 published on May 6. Additional guides to wealth will appear at thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlist from April 29, with the Richest 2,000 people in Britain available online from May 13.
