THE wealthiest people in Scotland have been announced in a new annual list compiled by the Sunday Times.
The list charts the wealth of the 350 richest people in the UK, with Anders Holch Povlsen and JK Rowling being ranked some of the wealthiest people in Scotland.
David Moulsdale, the founder of Glasgow-based laser-eye surgery company Optical Express, also made the list with his wealth valued at £374 million.
The list also features Douglas Park, who was born in Scotland but is based in Spain and owns transport company Park’s of Hamilton, worth an estimated £399m.
Wealth is assessed by factors including land, property and other assets, with this year’s publication revealing the largest fall in billionaires in the guide’s history.
Despite this, the individuals and families included in the 2024 edition still hold a combined wealth of £795.361 billion – a figure which is almost five times higher than the annual GDP of Scotland.
Here’s who made the list in Scotland.
13. Lord and Lady Haughey and family
William Haughey is a Scottish businessman, philanthropist and chair of City Facilities Management Holdings limited.
The family made the list for the first time this year and took spot 335, estimated to be worth £387m.
Haughey was born in Glasgow and founded City Refrigeration, a refrigeration equipment and maintenance supplier which held contracts with drinks companies such as Tennant’s.
12. Douglas and Iain Anderson
At number 315 on the list, the two brothers who control Glasgow-based plant hire company GAP Group had their wealth valued at £423m.
The brothers took over the business from their father, Gordon Anderson, and oversee what is now the UK’s largest independent hire company.
11. The Bruce Jones family
This family sits comfortably at number 261 on the Rich List, worth £596m.
They own timber company James Jones and Sons Limited, a fifth-generation family business which is the UK's largest privately owned forestry and sawmill group.
The company is based in Stirlingshire, with chairman Tom Bruce Jones living in Falkirk.
10. Sir Tom Hunter
Worth £700m, Sir Tom Hunter is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Sports Division, which became Europe’s largest independent sports retailer until it was sold in 1998.
He now runs Ayrshire-based investment firm West Coast Capital. His main home is in Monkton. He sits at number 235 on the Rich List.
9. Sir Brian Souter and Dame Ann Gloag
This brother and sister, worth £815m and rising to number 225 on the Rich List, are the founders of transport company Stagecoach Group.
Brian Souter also went on to found the bus and coach operator Megabus and the train operating company South West Trains. He currently lives in Perth.
8. JK Rowling
The Harry Potter author, based in Edinburgh, is worth £945m and has moved up the Rich List to reach number 175.
Rowling’s wealth comes from the Harry Potter franchise, fantasy novels which have been made into a series of films, video games and stage productions.
7. The Thomson Family
Owners of Dundee-based media company DC Thomson, the family are the first billionaires to make Scotland’s list, their wealth estimated at £1.367bn. They sit at 124 overall on the Rich List.
The company is best known for publishing The Dundee Courier, The Evening Telegraph and The Sunday Post newspapers, and the comics Oor Wullie and The Beano.
6. Sandy and James Easdale
These brothers are behind the independent bus company McGill’s, which operates across Scotland.
They are worth £1.45bn and rose to position 116 in this year’s Rich List.
5. Lady Philomena Clark and family
As the widow of Arnold Clark, Philomena Clark inherited her husband’s car sales company – of the same name as her husband – and is worth £1.581 billion. The family took the 91st spot in last year’s rich list, and this year have fallen to 106.
The company was founded and is still based in Glasgow and has car dealerships across the UK.
4. Mahdi Al-Tajir
The owner of Highland Spring, Mahdi Al-Tajir is worth £1.641 billion and is number 102 on the Rich List.
A former UAE ambassador to the UK and France, Al-Tajir splits his time between his home in London and his 18,000 acre Perthshire estate.
3. Sir Ian Wood and family
Wood and his family are worth almost £2bn (£1.911bn), £91 million more than last year, placing them at number 88 on the list.
Their wealth comes from the Wood Group, the family-owned fishing business turned North Sea oil services firm. Wood lives in Aberdeen.
2. Glenn Gordon and family
This family is behind spirits company William Grant and Sons, which owns popular drinks brands such as Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder and Hendrick’s. They have risen to number 36 on this year’s Rich List.
The company is the third largest producer of Scotch whisky in the world (producing 8% of the market share) and remains based in North Lanarkshire, although Gordon lives in Jersey.
1. Anders Holch Povlsen
Scotland’s wealthiest person – and number 24 in the UK overall – is Anders Holch Povlsen, earning £6.73bn.
The Danish billionaire owns international clothing chain Bestseller and is the largest shareholder in internet fashion retailer Asos.
He is also Scotland's largest private landowner, with more than 220,000 acres across 13 estates.
