Danish Billionaire Tops Scotland Rich List With £7.7bn Amid Billionaire Decline

Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO of the international clothing retailer Bestseller and largest shareholder in ASOS, has been named the richest person in Scotland for the fourth consecutive year, with his net worth rising nearly £1 billion to £7.7 billion. He is followed by whisky magnate Glenn Gordon and family, whose wealth also grew significantly, and Sir Ian Wood and family in third place. The Sunday Times Rich List reveals a notable decline in the number of billionaires in the UK, dropping from 177 in 2022 to 156 this year, marking the largest fall in the list's 37-year history, with combined wealth decreasing by 3% to £772.8 billion. Other notable Scottish figures include media personality Georgia Toffolo, who tops the richest under-40 category with £425 million, and author J.K. Rowling, who remains just outside the billionaire bracket. Robert Watts, compiler of the Rich List, highlighted a shift with fewer super-rich individuals relocating to the UK and a broader range of self-made entrepreneurs building fortunes across diverse industries beyond technology and entertainment.