Whisky tycoons retain top spot on Scottish rich list

10 May 2019, 05:56

The billionaire whisky tycoons behind Glenfiddich and Hendrick's Gin have been named Scotland's richest family for the sixth year in a row.

Rising profits for William Grant & Sons have seen Glenn Gordon and family maintain their top spot on the Scottish Rich List, compiled by the Sunday Times.

The distillery group, which produces whisky including Grant's, Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, is run by the founder's great-great-grandson Glenn Gordon.

Mr Gordon, who is registered as a resident of Jersey, has overseen a £310 million increase in the family's wealth in the last year, with profits up by 14.4% at their Banffshire-based distillery.

His family has more than doubled their wealth in six years, up from £1.4 billion in 2013 to £2.9 billion, according to the paper.

People with Scottish connections account for 82 of the 1,000 richest people in Britain, it said, including 11 billionaires worth a combined £17.245 billion - a rise of £1.038 billion in the last year.

Robert Watts, compiler of The Sunday Times Rich List, said: "Many Rich Listers are this year nursing big losses due to the uncertainty over Brexit, turbulence on the stock market and the enormous change sweeping through our high streets.

"But more than half of our Scottish Rich List have seen their fortunes rise over the past 12 months - that's a higher proportion than other parts of the UK."

Oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood, worth £1.763 billion, rises up a rank in the Scottish top 20 to take second place this year, thanks to a £51 million increase.

He retains a 0.9% stake, worth £33.7 million, in Wood, which he founded and ran for 50 years before retiring in 2012.

The Thomson family, who were originally in shipping but now run the Dundee-based Beano publisher DC Thomson, have grown their wealth by £49 million to £1.401 billion and sit seventh on the list.

The 31st edition of the Sunday Times Rich List is published on May 12.

The top 10 richest people in Scotland in 2019, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, their industry, and their wealth:

1. Glenn Gordon and family - spirits - £2.882bn.

2. Sir Ian Wood and family - oil services and fishing - £1.763bn.

3. Mohamed Al Fayed and family - retailing - £1.7bn.

4. John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw - pharmaceuticals - £1.689bn.

5. Mahdi al-Tajir - metals, oil and water - £1.66bn.

6. Trond Mohn and Marit Mohn Westlake and family - industry - £1.602bn.

7. Thomson family - media - £1.401bn.

8. Philip Day - fashion - £1.2bn.

9. The Clark family - car sales - £1.178bn.

10. Jim Mellon - property and finance - £1.1bn.