More than £17bn held by Channel Islands’ richest

Monday 24 May 2021

The seven richest Channel Island residents hold more than £17bn between them.

Released this weekend, the statistics came in the annual Sunday Times Rich List, which revealed the top 250 richest people in Britain in 2021.

Holding the title for the richest in the Channel Islands were the Brecqhou-based Barclay family, whose wealth fell £1bn over the year, standing at £6bn. This was despite the recent passing of Sir David Barclay, and his twin brother, Frederick’s, £100m divorce from Lady Hiroko.

Their property and media empire includes the Telegraph and previously included London’s Ritz hotel.

Pictured: The Barclay brothers, and their previous island home, Brecqhou.

Jersey-based Glenn Gordon and his family is worth £3.595bn, according to this year’s Rich List. The paper estimates that the owners of leading Scottish distiller William Grant and Sons have seen their fortune rise by £409m over the past 12 months, taking them up two places to 47th on the list.  

Mr Gordon is the Chairman of the company founded by his great-great grandfather in 1887. William Grant and Sons produce a number of well-known brands including Grant’s, Glenfiddich, Hendrick’s and Drambuie. 

Husband and wife Chris and Sarah Dawson are equal 79th on the list with an estimated fortune of £2.05bn, which has not changed since last year.

The son of a market trader, Mr Dawson founded home and DIY chain, The Range, in his native Plymouth in 1989. The business now claims to be the fastest growing retailer in the UK with over 175 stores nationwide. It has also partnered with Iceland, selling the frozen-food specialists products in 70 of its stores. 

In 2017, it was reported that he had made the decision to transfer his shares in the business to his wife after she decided to make Jersey her main home. 

They tie with Guernsey’s Douw Steyn and family, whose wealth rose by £1.1bn during the year. Their wealth comes from insurance company Compare The Market.

At 91 on the list, St. Brelade resident Simon Nixon has seen his wealth rise by £450m to £1.8bn. The co-founder of Money Supermarket moved to the island in 2013 and has moved into property and business investment since selling his interest in the price comparison website.

Pictured: Simon Nixon, who made his money through Money Supermarket, saw his wealth rise to £1.8bn.

138^th on the list is Guernsey’s Douglas and Dame Mary Perkins, the founders of Specsavers opticians. During the year, their wealth fell by £600m to £1.2bn.

Grouville resident Paul Sykes is 214^th on the list with an estimated fortune of £770m. There was no change in his fortune over the course of the year.

The son of a Yorkshire miner, Mr Sykes left school at 15 and four years later he set up his first company dismantling buses for scrap metal, and exporting engines and spare parts worldwide. 

After years in the vehicle industry, he moved into property in his 40s, founding the UK’s first out-of-town shopping mall, Meadow Hall between Sheffield and Rotherham in 1990. He is a significant philanthropist as well as long-time supporter of the Conservative Party and Brexit. 

In previous years, the Sunday Times’ list has spanned the 1,000 wealthiest. The decision to shorten the list means that some well-known Channel Island names that have cropped up in previous years do not appear. The smallest fortune on the list was £613m.