The south west now has nine billionaires, according to the latest edition of the Sunday Times Rich List. Sir James Dyson, the vacuum designer, tops the list once again with a total wealth of £23 billion - a rise of £6.7bn in the last year alone.
That means Dyson, who owns a 300-acre estate in Chipping Sodbury, is now the second-richest person in the United Kingdom, and is far ahead of the next-richest people in the south west. Dyson Group had a record year in 2021, with sales of £6bn and profits of £1.5bn raising the company's value from £14.5bn to £21bn.
In second place in our corner of the country is John Christodoulou, a property developer who was born in Cyprus, grew up in London, and now lives in Monaco. His portfolio is worth £2.35bn, according to the Sunday Times, up £350 million on last year.
