The Rich List, the annual survey of the UK’s wealthiest 1,000 individuals, puts Stelios at number 64, a big drop from last year’s 41st place.
Stelios is one of Brexit’s big losers, according to the Sunday Times, as the referendum wiped more than £770 million off his 34% share in easyJet, the airline he founded. He can, however, console himself with net wealth put at £1.95 billion.
As usual, travel’s billionaire list is headed by Sir Richard Branson at £4.86 billion, who the paper says has increased his bank balance by £345 million in the past 12 months. Despite this, Branson has been pushed out of the top 20 by non-travel entrepreneurs, falling from 19th to 23rd place.
Travel’s appearance in the top 200 is mainly limited to hotel entrepreneurs, whose property wealth pushes them up the league. At number 55, however, Barnaby Swire and family, whose empire includes Cathay Pacific, are listed, with their wealth put at £2.15 billion.
Others include Christina Ong and family, at number 100. Ong’s £1.3 billion worth includes a company, Hotel Properties, worth £880 million, plus London hotels The Halkin and the Metropolitan.
At 128th place is Jasminder Singh and family, with £1.03 billion, up £115 million. Singh owns the London-based Edwardian hotel group, with a range of properties in London and Manchester.
Just behind, at number 130, are the Marharu brothers, with £1.02 million. The family owns the 17-strong chain of Grange Hotels with a flagship property near St Paul’s in London.
Conventional travel operators feature further down the list. At number 148 are Sir Roger and Peter De Haan, worth £895 million, down £5 million. The family fortune comes from Saga, which their father Sidney began. It was sold in 2004 to private equity investors for £1.35 billion.
The last travel names to make the top 200, at number 189, are Peter Harris and family (Bourne Leisure).
Bourne owns Butlin’s, Warner Leisure and other UK holiday businesses with a client base of more than four million. The Harris family are worth £680 million, up £30 million in the past year.
