LONDON — The fortunes of Britain’s wealthiest individuals appear to have turned.
The 1,000 richest people in Britain increased their collective wealth by 18 percent in the past year and are now worth 395.8 billion pounds, or $647.8 billion, according to a list published by the Sunday Times newspaper.
Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal’s family members held onto their position as the wealthiest people in Britain with a fortune of 17.5 billion pounds — but they are 22 percent poorer than a year earlier thanks to a drop in the share price of ArcelorMittal.
Fellow metals mogul Alisher Usmanov, a Russian who has a stake in English football club Arsenal, saw the biggest increase in wealth. He climbed six spots on the list to No. 2 after adding 7.7 billion pounds to his fortune. He is now worth 12.4 billion, according to the list.
The Duke of Westminster fell out of the top 3 for the first time since 1999 despite adding 250 million pounds to his fortune.
For the first time, more than 100 women made the cut — a feat that this year required a fortune of at least 70 million pounds.
