Sunday Times Rich List 2025: the 10 richest billionaires in England's North West - including Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains the wealthiest person in the North West, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2025, published today (May 16).

The billionaire founder of chemicals giant INEOS tops the regional list with a fortune of £17 billion, even after a £6 billion drop in the past year.

The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family take second place in the North West rankings.

The 7th Duke, Hugh Grosvenor, continues to oversee a sprawling real estate empire – including holdings in London’s Mayfair – which last year saw a lucrative stake sold to Norwegian investors.

But while the top of the North West leaderboard remains relatively unchanged, the overall landscape of British wealth is shifting dramatically.

This year’s Rich List, now in its 37th year, marks the sharpest fall in UK billionaire numbers ever recorded – down from a 2022 peak of 177 to just 156 in 2025. It’s the third consecutive annual decline.

The combined wealth of this year’s 350 richest individuals and families stands at £772.8 billion, down 3% year-on-year – a figure still greater than the GDP of Switzerland, but a sign of what compilers call a “subdued” year.

The minimum entry point for the list remains unchanged at £350 million.

Among the notable names appearing in the national list are cultural icons such as Sir Elton John, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Sir Christopher Nolan, and Euan Blair – son of the former Prime Minister.

Robert Watts, who compiles the list, said the changes reflect broader economic and political shifts.

He said: “Our billionaire count is down and the combined wealth of those who feature in our research is falling. We are also finding fewer of the world’s super rich are coming to live in the UK.”

Watts also pointed to growing dissatisfaction among wealthy British entrepreneurs with recent government tax reforms:.

“We expected the abolition of non-dom status would anger affluent people from overseas,” he added.

“But homegrown young tech entrepreneurs and those running centuries-old family firms are also warning of serious consequences to a range of tax changes.”

Despite the downturn, the list continues to highlight the enduring appeal of self-made success stories — from AI and gaming to makeup and even jogging bottoms.

“Many of our readers find these people and their stories inspiring — especially the many who had tough starts or setbacks to their lives and careers,” said Watts.

The full 76-page special edition of the Rich List appears in the Sunday Times Magazine on Sunday, May 18, and is available online at thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list.

But how is the top 20 from the North West shaking out?