Gopichand Hinduja has maintained his position as Britain's richest person for the fourth consecutive year, despite seeing his fortune shrink by over £1billion in the past 12 months.
The 85-year-old businessman and his family, who are behind the Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group, are worth £35billion according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2025 published today.
The Hindujas have been losing approximately £5.2million a day over the past year, with their wealth dropping by almost £2 billion compared to 2024, when Hinuja also topped the list.
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Who is Gopichand Hinduja?
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Who is Gopichand Hinduja?
Born in 1940, Hinduja is married to Sunita Hinduja and they have three children. Of Sindhi heritage, he is teetotal and vegetarian.
Gopi became a British citizen in 1997. Britain's richest man began his career working for his father's textile business in India alongside his brother Srichand, who passed away in 2023.
The siblings expanded their business interests, acquiring companies like Ashok Leyland from British Leyland and Gulf Oil in the 1980s, before establishing banks in Switzerland and India in the 1990s.
In 2012, their Hinduja Group acquired Houghton International, the world's largest metal fluids manufacturer, for more than $1billion.
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PAHinduja Group spans business sectors, including banking and finance, media and entertainment, and energy. The conglomerate employs around 200,000 people globally.
The Indian-born billionaire has been critical of Britain's decision to leave the European Union in 2016, claiming Brexit was "not good for the UK".
In 2023, Hinduja claimed a trade deal with India was vital to boost the British economy, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirming a "historic" trade deal between the nations last week.
At the time, the entrepreneur shared: "The biggest help the UK can get is from India, because India’s economy, by 2027, will be the third largest in the world."
How many billionaires are in the UK?
2025'S Sunday Times Rich List revealed the largest fall in billionaires in the guide's 37-year history, with numbers dropping from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 156 this year.
This marks the third consecutive year of decline, with this year's drop being the sharpest yet. The combined wealth of the 350 individuals and families on the list stands at £772.8billion, down three per cent from last year.
Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, noted significant changes in this year's edition. "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. We expected the abolition of non-dom status would anger affluent people from overseas. But homegrown young tech entrepreneurs and those running centuries-old family firms are also warning of serious consequences to a range of tax changes unveiled in last October's budget."
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King Charles has seen his wealth grow
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Who else made the rich list?
King Charles has seen his personal fortune increase to £640million in the past year, a £30million rise that places him joint 238th on the rich list alongside former prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.
The monarch's wealth estimate includes personal assets, the investment portfolio inherited from his late mother, and private estates at Sandringham and Balmoral.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the INEOS owner and minority owner of Manchester United, ranks as the sixth richest man in London with a fortune of £17.046 billion. Despite his Ineos group reporting losses of £124.4million, the steel magnate saw his wealth increase after moving abroad.
Harry Styles, the Watermelon Sugar singer, features among the wealthiest Londoners under 40 with a fortune of £225million.
